German Offshore Wind Workers Urge Angela Merkel for More Support

The current situation in German offshore wind industry led to a demonstration in Hanover last week, when around 700 workers urged Chancellor Angela Merkel for more support to the industry, Bloomberg reports.

Issues on the transmission grid and sharing financial risk have caused delays in several projects, which consequently triggered some employment concerns.

Due to delayed or cancelled investments, wind turbine manufacturer REpower will dismiss a good number of temporary workers at its PowerBlades GmbH unit in Bremerhaven, while a shipyard that builds offshore wind turbine installation vessels and employs about 400 people, J.J. Sietas, has to find a new order until the end of next month to keep the company safe, Bloomberg finds out.

In November 2012, Merkel’s government passed a draft bill that regulates offshore wind liability issues and lowers the limit on damages that grid operators must pay for delays when connecting offshore wind farms to the grid.

Still, there could be more companies struggling in the offshore wind sector if the delays “aren’t properly dealt with” and this should be Chancellor Merkel’s “top priority”, Meinhard Geiken, who is responsible for the coastal regions at IG Metall told the news site.

If successful in national elections, Social Democratic party intends to postpone a planned cut in subsidies for offshore wind farms by three years and subsidize the companies from KfW Group.

[mappress]

Offshore WIND Staff, January 17, 2013; Image: Alpha Ventus