HUSUM Wind has been central to Germany’s now-thriving wind industry since 1989, when the first edition of the annual trade fair was held in a livestock auction hall in little Husum, Germany. The exhibition has since grown in stature and size, though it hasn’t outgrown the city of Husum, home to just over 20,000 people. Hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of visitors come to the event each year.
But HUSUM Wind is more than just an exhibition hall with vendors and service providers. The event features several receptions, a job fair, the Windwanderer music festival, and even a golf tournament.
And then there’s the educational component.
This year, the four-day event’s schedule of lectures was as packed, as usual. Themes covered a wide range of wind energy-related topics, with lectures focused on prolonging the lifecycle of turbines, reusing and recycling decommissioned turbines, and increasing turbine efficiency.
At HUSUM’s Windkraft Zulieferer Forum, for example, SKF Strategic Accounts Manager Michael Slembeck presented on SKF’s remanufacturing services, which allow older wind turbines to remain profitable and operational for longer through the reconditioning of bearings and lubrication systems. One of Slembeck’s SKF colleagues, Philipp Schmid, also presented on turbine reliability and reducing maintenance costs with all-in-one maintenance contracts that are based on performance criteria.
The forums and lectures brought together disparate sectors of the global wind energy industry and made them uniquely accessible to the German-speaking community.
The event was a chance for wind energy stakeholders and enthusiasts to learn and share ideas – and socialize too. HUSUM Wind marked its 30th year with an anniversary party, complete with music and free beer. It was a perfect opportunity to relax and perhaps reflect on how far this industry has come over the last three decades—and where we might be 30 years from now.
