WindEurope Annual Event 2024

As the delegation of the Turkish Wind Energy Association (TÜREB), we orchestrated a successful organization in Bilbao from March 19th to 22nd, 2024, to attend the WindEurope Annual Event.

With a delegation consisting of 110 members including high-level public and private sector representatives, we traveled to Bilbao on a charter flight on March 19th. Among the prominent figures representing our country were Dr. Çetin Ali Dönmez, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology, Prof. Dr. İlker Murat Ar, General Director of Industry, Ahmet Özkaya, the General Manager of Energy Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Sebahattin Öz, the Deputy General Manager of Energy Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, and Deniz Daştan, the Head of Electricity Market Regulation Authority (EPDK).

On the first day of our visit, we held meetings with Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Dr. Çetin Ali Dönmez, and officials from the Ministry of Industry and Technology to discuss critical issues concerning the development of our sector. These discussions included topics such as the Çandarlı Port, domestic equipment production, preparation for carbon taxation at the border for wind energy producers, and enabling industrialists to invest in renewable energy sources through bilateral purchase agreements for predictable and sustainable energy supply.

Another significant meeting was held with representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, including General Manager Ahmet Özkaya, Deputy General Manager Sebahattin Öz, Deputy General Manager of TEİAŞ (Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation) Deniz Coşkun, and EPDK's Deniz Daştan. During this meeting, we discussed necessary steps to advance our sector and exchanged ideas on potential initiatives and projects.

The WindEurope Bilbao event, attended by more than 12,000 individuals, commenced with a special Ministerial Session featuring Dr. Çetin Ali Dönmez among the speakers. Moderated by WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson, the session included representatives from Germany, Greece, Moldova, and Türkiye at the Deputy Minister level, along with high-level participants from Siemens, RWE, Iberdrola, and EDPR. Subsequently, Dr. Dönmez inaugurated the 'Türkiye Pavilion,' which was acknowledged as TWEA's stand. He, along with Energy Affairs General Manager Ahmet Özkaya and other public representatives, visited our stand, gathering insights on the industry and scheduled activities.

Throughout the event, we engaged in highly productive discussions with five companies at the highest level and conducted B2B meetings with 342 firms. In high-level meetings attended by our public officials, we shared our perspectives on the development of the Turkish wind sector and expediting project implementations with top executives from Nordex Group, Vestas, Enercon, Sany Group, and TPI Composites. These meetings emphasized Türkiye's robust wind industry and its opportunities for the EU, highlighting the country as a 'reliable supply partner' to facilitate new investments.

As part of the WindEurope Bilbao activities, three technical visits were organized, offering us the opportunity to witness the latest developments and technologies in the wind sector firsthand. During these visits, we visited the Nordex Group Blade Factory and Nacel Factory in Pamplona, as well as the Spanish technology center, Tekniker. We express our gratitude to the companies hosting us during these technical visits.

Furthermore, we extend our thanks to the entities accompanying us in our TWEA pavilion: İzmir Development Agency, Kontrolmatik Technology, Berdan Civata, Dronecare, and uSens.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of the dinners organized on behalf of the TWEA delegation by Kontrolmatik Technology and Nordex Group Türkiye.

Once again, we express our gratitude to all members of the delegation for their participation, contributing to fruitful engagements for our country during this significant event.