The Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS) notes the key role of ports in the expansion of wind power. With the German federal government’s climate protection and sustainability goals in mind, it is calling for a more robust expansion of the necessary infrastructure at seaports.
Angela Titzrath, chairman of the Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS):
“An energetic turnaround is underway. It is good and right that the federal government is pushing for wind energy development. It serves not only to meet electricity needs, but is also crucial for the production of green hydrogen, an energy carrier for climate-neutral industry. If we are serious about climate protection and development goals, we need to build the necessary capacity at seaports as soon as possible. This includes both new offshore construction and onshore expansion.
We repeatedly hear from industry representatives that Europe lacks the production capacity for wind turbines to meet German demand in the coming years. For importing these turbines, as well as for offshore development, we need many more high-capacity areas in ports that are large enough for modern wind turbines. In addition, obstacles to carrying out necessary heavy transports should be removed, approval procedures should be shortened, and staffing should be optimized.
We very much welcome the fact that the state of Lower Saxony is making progress on the Cuxhaven site and creating new areas for heavy cargo. However, for this national task, supra-local organization of the necessary investments along the entire German North Sea and Baltic coast is crutial. A forward-looking creation of a unified set of regulations is also needed. Politicians and the port industry have shown what is possible with LNG terminals. We need to replicate this in order to achieve the goals of wind power expansion and thus the entire energy transition.
Source: ZDS
