CAPTION: In view of the German government's expansion targets, the offshore wind industry expects to create tens of thousands of new jobs. (picture alliance / Ingo Wagner)
In view of the German government's expansion targets, the offshore wind industry expects to create tens of thousands of new jobs. Currently, however, an acute shortage of skilled workers is jeopardizing the renewed ramp-up of the industry, which was slowed down in recent years by the former government's stop-and-go policy. "In order to achieve the current expansion targets, there is therefore a need for a politically-supported overall effort by the industry with a qualification and training offensive along the entire value chain," demanded the industry association, the Network for Wind Energy (WAB). Industry representatives also reported problems in the supply chains.
According to WAB, the lack of expansion in recent years has had a significant impact on the industry's value chain. "For the German government's long-term expansion targets of at least 70 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2045, we need immediate investment and the setting of the right political course in order to create the infrastructure needed for expansion, including in ports and shipyards," said WAB managing director Heike Winkler. "The value chain needs to be rebuilt."
The German shipbuilders' association, VSM, advocated using the upcoming energy transition in the next few years for a "value chain turnaround." "It no longer matters where things come from," said VSM Managing Director Reinhard Lüken. It's important to "implement the better solution, not the cheaper one," he added, speaking of a "learning curve we have to make on the industry side." Because new specialized vessels are needed on a large scale for the planned expansion of offshore wind energy, German shipbuilders play a key role. For years, they have been suffering from the fact that orders are migrating to Asia, where shipbuilding is supported by billions in government aid.
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