On 15 October MEPs Barry Andrews, Annalisa Corrado and Bart Groothuis and EU Commission officials from DGs GROW and MARE joined WindEurope to visit Sif’s new monopile factory and Eneco’s new coastal wind farm in Rotterdam. The Port of Rotterdam also showed us how it’s driving every aspect of the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal. The Sif factory is one of 30 wind energy supply chain sites across Europe that are expanding to meet the EU’s 2030 energy security and climate targets.
In February 2023 offshore wind foundations manufacturer Sif took final investment decision on the expansion of its Port of Rotterdam factory, aiming to construct the world’s largest monopile foundation plant. Monopiles are the most common foundation type used to install wind turbines at sea. Sif is investing more than €300m to expand its production to the annual equivalent of 200 XXXL foundations – each of them with an 11m diameter.
WindEurope’s visitor group was among the first to witness the construction progress on site. The factory’s new production halls have been completed. And the first production line was already launched in August. Sif expects the new production lines to be fully ready in the first half of 2025. During the visit, Sif CEO Fred van Beers highlighted the expansion’s crucial role in accommodating the rising demand for offshore wind turbines in the North Seas and beyond.
Port of Rotterdam representatives showed what needs to happen on the demand side to deliver on the EU’s new Clean Industrial Deal. The port supports the electrification of ship operations, facilitates the local production of renewable hydrogen and rewards discounts on seaport dues for ships with higher environmental standards.
And the port also features multiple renewable energy plants. WindEurope’s group visited one the largest sites – Eneco’s 120 MW Maasvlakte 2 wind farm. The wind farm provides the equivalent of the average annual electricity consumption of 152,000 households. We need more wind farms in industrial zones across Europe to shorten electricity transmission distances and maximise the grid efficiency of renewable power systems.
Europe’s wind energy supply chain growing quickly
Sif is not the only European wind energy supplier investing in additional manufacturing capacity. More than 30 factories across Europe are currently being expanded or newly constructed. Most investments are directed at upgrading grid manufacturing capacities. New cable production lines are developed in Belgium, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK. Good. Europe must urgently boost the grid buildout to unlock the large volumes needed to meet the EU’s wind targets – and it’s great to see that the supply will be met by European suppliers. Remaining a strong manufacturing up for wind energy technology increases Europe’s energy resilience and economic competitiveness.
Wind turbine factories are also being expanded. Six plants for hubs, nacelles, blades and towers are being developed in Denmark, Poland and Italy. All infrastructure investments are summarised on the map below. The Sif site visited by WindEurope’s group is highlighted in red. A detailed overview of all sites can be found here.
WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said: “Today’s Sif factory visit has underlined the wind supply chain’s efforts to scale up. We are creating thousands of jobs and boosting Europe’s competitiveness. The Net Zero Industry Act requires 36 GW of wind manufacturing capacity in the EU by 2030. We need more support to achieve this. Ease access to capital, enable a level playing field with non-European competitors, further boost the grid buildout and our European companies will deliver!”
