{"id":702,"date":"2026-10-13T12:31:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T12:31:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/costineers.com\/windenergy-hamburg-2026-where-growth-meets-cost-pressure-2\/"},"modified":"2026-11-03T14:57:57","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T14:57:57","slug":"windenergy-hamburg-2026-where-growth-meets-cost-pressure-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/costineers.com\/en\/windenergy-hamburg-2026-where-growth-meets-cost-pressure-2\/","title":{"rendered":"WindEnergy Hamburg 2026: Where Growth Meets Cost Pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"

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What Costineers observed at the world’s leading wind industry trade fair<\/span><\/h2>\n

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<\/span>WindEnergy Hamburg<\/a> <\/span>has been the most important meeting point for the onshore and offshore wind industry for years. We were there on the opening day, and our visit clearly showed: the industry is growing again, but the question of costs has now taken centre stage.<\/p>\n

More than 1,600 exhibitors from around 40 countries, over 300 speakers across six stages, 83,000 square metres of exhibition space, and up to 43,000 expected visitors from 100 nations: these figures alone highlight the fair’s significance. For us as Cost Engineers, however, one thing was particularly interesting: what was said between the lines of the opening speeches and within the halls.<\/p>\n

The New Momentum: The Industry Is Delivering Again<\/strong><\/p>\n

After years of sluggish expansion, wind energy in Germany is regaining momentum. In 2025, 4.6 GW were newly installed onshore, approximately 75 per cent more than the previous year. Offshore, installed capacity has risen above 10 GW for the first time. Wind energy now covers more than a quarter of Germany’s gross electricity consumption.<\/p>\n

The mood across Europe is also positive. WindEurope CEO Tinne Van der Straeten stated at the opening that Europe is on track to install 24 GW this year. She clearly placed wind energy in a geopolitical context: its expansion saves Europe 65 LNG tankers each year. “That is sovereignty.”<\/p>\n

Ben Backwell from the Global Wind Energy Council echoed a similar sentiment. Countries, companies, and households increasingly view wind as the most reliable and cost-effective solution.<\/p>\n

So, the demand is there. This is precisely where the question that concerns us at <\/span>Costineers <\/span><\/strong>begins: At what cost will this growth be delivered?<\/p>\n

Politics with a Price Tag: The Cost Side Takes Centre Stage<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stefan Rouenhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, opened the fair. He made it clear that the Federal Government is committed to renewable energies. However, he added that “the cost side must also be kept in mind.”<\/p>\n

This statement is more than a side note. It marks a shift: it is no longer about whether wind power will be expanded, but what the expansion costs and who bears these costs. Discussions surrounding the EEG amendment, new rules for offshore tenders, and three key legislative proposals in the autumn show that the framework conditions are currently being redrawn. Rouenhoff emphasised that they absolutely want to “avoid any disruption to the expansion.”<\/p>\n

Associations, including BWE President B\u00e4rbel Heidebroek and VDMA Power Systems, primarily called for one thing: planning certainty. This is understandable. From a cost perspective, however, it also means that those who wish to rely on dependable framework conditions must, in turn, be able to demonstrate that they produce efficiently.<\/p>\n

New Competitors, New Price Benchmarks<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was impossible to overlook the confident presence of Chinese manufacturers in Hamburg. CRRC, for example, showcased a portfolio of more than 80 turbine models, from 1.5 MW onshore to 20 MW offshore. The company received T\u00dcV S\u00dcD type certification for a 7.15 MW turbine and highlighted over 20 of its own manufacturing sites worldwide.<\/p>\n

Such appearances shift the benchmarks. European OEMs and their suppliers will increasingly have to compete on prices that originate from entirely different cost structures. The crucial question will no longer be “What does our product cost?” but “What should it cost, and why does it cost more from us?”<\/p>\n

This is precisely where Should-Costing comes in. Anyone who can break down the costs of a nacelle, a gearbox, or a tower segment to material, process steps, and manufacturing time knows where the gap to the competition arises. And they know which part of that is structure-related and which is process-related.<\/p>\n

From Order Book to Margin: The Real Test<\/strong><\/p>\n

Full order books do not automatically equate to healthy margins. Several major manufacturers have learned this painfully in recent years. The ramp-up now underway brings with it the classic challenges of industrialisation:<\/p>\n

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