Messe Husum & Congress, organiser of the HUSUM WIND trade fair, and the wind energy network WAB e.V. will stage what they describe as Europe’s largest offshore field trip on 31 August, offering a close-up view of key wind farm and grid connection projects in the North Sea. The organisers expect around 500 national and international participants; the last comparable tour took place more than 15 years ago.
The full-day excursion departs Hamburg at 7:00 on the high-speed catamaran “Halunder Jet” and follows a pre-planned route illustrating the development of offshore wind over the past 15 years — from the first pilot project to today’s 15-megawatt turbines. Depending on the weather, the tour will pass up to 25 offshore wind farms and converter stations, with experts on board explaining the technical background and the challenges ahead. Tickets cost 349 euros (319 euros for exhibitors) and places are limited.
Organisers used the announcement to press their policy case. “The tour will demonstrate that the further expansion of offshore wind in Germany must be implemented swiftly, ambitiously and consistently. Any delay is counterproductive,” said WAB managing director Markus Nölke, pointing to the need to reform the Offshore Wind Energy Act (WindSeeG) and resume tenders for new project areas. HUSUM WIND project manager Pascal Hofer said 60 per cent of hall space for the 2027 fair is already booked, a third of it by offshore exhibitors.
Offshore wind farms in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea have now passed 10 gigawatts of installed capacity, with the government targeting 70 gigawatts by 2045. Organisers noted that a recent 2.5-billion-euro converter platform contract, creating 550 jobs, shows the sector’s contribution to industrial value creation. The next HUSUM WIND runs from 14 to 17 September 2027.
