WindEurope 2026: taking the pulse of the industry in Madrid
My thoughts following the WindEurope 2026 event in Madrid
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Today we bring you a slightly different edition, with a chronicle from my time at WindEurope 2026.
For me it has been one of the most rewarding editions to date. You can feel how, little by little, I am getting to know more people within the industry. I still remember that 2019 edition, when I wandered almost aimlessly between the stands and made the most of an empty agenda by attending conference sessions.
The situation has changed since then. Windletter has an increasingly global reach and a growing network of subscribers, collaborators, sponsors and, why not say it, friends. So much so that the day and a half I managed to spend there felt, if anything, too short.
WindEurope 2026: taking the pulse of the industry in Madrid
More than 15,000 participants, more than 600 exhibitors. European wind has never been more alive. Not just in the halls of the big OEMs and large developers. What stands out most, if you have been attending for several years, is the number and quality of small and medium-sized companies, startups and scale-ups filling the aisles.
The sector has matured, but it remains a dynamic ecosystem, and that is palpable.
⚡ Electrification and energy security: the twin axes of 2026
Each WindEurope has a tone, a dominant message that permeates the sessions and the press releases. In 2024, in Bilbao, the feeling was one of protecting domestic industry: our wind, our value. In Madrid 2026, the tone has been different: from crisis to confidence. More urgent. More political. Wind energy as an opportunity to address the energy crisis with homegrown electricity.
The context explains it: the war in Iran has reminded Europe, once again, that heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels is not a good idea. Electrification with homegrown renewables is no longer just climate policy. In fact, in the speeches, climate change has been pushed to the background. Now it is energy security, strategic autonomy, resilience.
WindEurope used the moment to present the Madrid Call to Action, a ten-point plan calling on European leaders to treat electrification as a strategic priority.
The ten actions fall into three groups: boosting supply (fast-track permitting, maximising auctions, repowering wind farms), connecting that supply to demand (grid connections, infrastructure financing), and enabling the switch on the consumer side (zero VAT on heat pumps and electric vehicles, a permanent reduction in taxes on electricity).
One figure worth keeping in mind: wind already generates 20% of Europe’s electricity. The sector invested 45 billion euros in new capacity in 2025. And yet electricity still accounts for less than 25% of all the energy we consume in Europe. There is a long way to go.
🏗️ Product: limited, but interesting
I have to admit I miss those WindEurope editions where product launches were the main event. The industry now moves to a different rhythm: product development has slowed down and we no longer get new turbine models every year. That said, there was movement this year.
Nordex has stretched the N175/6.X to 7.3 MW with a new power mode that increases annual energy production by up to 1.7% without changing the noise level. The N175 has become the best seller in its segment, with more than 3 GW of firm orders.
In addition, Nordex unveiled a new concrete-steel hybrid tower configuration with a hub height of 162.5 metres for the German market, enabling projects to stay within the 250-metre tip height limit required at many sites. And at the event itself, it received type certification from TÜV SÜD for the 179-metre hybrid tower from strategic partner Max Bögl. This caught my attention: if I have understood correctly, Nordex now has two certified 179-metre hybrid tower options in its portfolio, one developed in-house and one from Max Bögl. I assume some customers, for whatever reason, prefer the Max Bögl solution.
Enercon, for its part, has announced an improvement of up to 2.8% in the AEP of the E-175 EP5 E2, depending on site conditions. The implication is that they have managed to improve the power curve below rated power. According to Enercon, this 7.0 MW machine already tops the list of turbine types most frequently included in new permits in Germany.
And then there is Suzlon. The Indian company, which virtually disappeared from Europe more than a decade ago, announced its intention to return earlier this year and has now made its first public appearance in the European market: the Blue Sky platform.
The new platform comes in two models: the S175 at 5 MW for low-wind sites (with low power density), and the S163 at 6.3 MW for moderate to high wind regimes. Built on the experience of 21.5 GW installed globally, the platform targets Europe as its priority market. Suzlon’s return deserves a deeper look, and it will get one in a future edition of Windletter.
🇨🇳 The Chinese: no stand, but present
One of the most interesting observations at WindEurope 2026 has nothing to do with what was seen in the halls, but with what was not. Chinese manufacturers have no stand, but they are at the fair. Envision, in fact, had its own meeting room inside the venue.
Who I could not spot at the fair was Sany. After months of ambitious announcements about its European expansion, two small orders closed and a great deal of media noise, Sany kept a low profile in Madrid. Paulo Soares stepping down as Managing Director of Sany Europe was already a clear signal that something had changed. There are even rumours that Sany may have suspended its European operations, though there is no official confirmation. When there is, we will report it.
On the other hand, Henrik Andersen, CEO of Vestas, publicly criticised the fact that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who opened the event on 21 April, appeared to be courting MingYang during his recent trip to China.
It is not the first time the European industry has expressed its discomfort with Chinese competition, but hearing it from Henrik Andersen at WindEurope feels significant. There are even rumours that Spain could be a plan B for MingYang following the Scotland setback.
🌊 Floating wind: from hype to reality
Anyone who attended WindEurope 2022 in Bilbao will remember that floating wind was the star of the show. Projects, platforms, promises. An enthusiasm that had more to do with expectations than tangible reality. In Madrid 2026, the tone has shifted: less hype, more focus on the projects that can actually move forward.
Is that a bad thing? It does not appear to be. The floating wind industry needed to go through this filter. The sector is approaching its moment of truth: between 2 and 5 GW are expected to reach FID before 2030.
The challenges are enormous, and the success of those first projects will be key. Only projects with a solid business case, proven and reliable technology, and stable long-term revenues will survive.
I had the chance to say hello in person to Bruno Geschier, one of the most interesting voices in the floating wind sector, who recently published a highly recommended reflection on the difference between salespeople and enablers in floating offshore wind, and exchange thoughts. His Spanish, by the way, more than passes the test.
🦅 Bird detection systems: a topic gaining ground
Something I did not expect to find with such a strong presence at WindEurope 2026 is the ecosystem around bird detection systems. IdentiFlight organised a side event with a significant deployment and, together with Zefiro Partners, presented the first capability assessment of an Automatic Bird Detection and Wind Turbine Shutdown System (SADAPA) in Spain. At Windletter we are trying to obtain more information about that study to cover it in detail.
These systems are moving from being an option to a requirement. More and more Environmental Impact Statements in Spain include them as a condition or recommendation. Social and regulatory pressure on the impact of wind energy on birds is growing.
But widespread adoption comes with real challenges. We are talking about highly sophisticated equipment, so the CAPEX is significant. But that is not their biggest barrier. The main problem is that the uncertainty they introduce into the investment is difficult to model. And the most complex part: quantifying their real effectiveness, minimising deaths while maximising generation, which is ultimately the goal, remains a technical and statistical problem that has not been fully resolved.
One day we will look at these systems in depth. If you have experience with them, I would love to hear from you.
📢 Disinformation: a growing problem
The last topic I want to highlight is, for me, particularly relevant. WindEurope and CASM Technology presented a report in Madrid on disinformation around wind energy in Europe.
The data are striking: over a year and a half of analysis, a network of organised actors — including anti-wind groups, activists, media outlets and politicians — generated more than 40,000 posts on social media, with 6.3 million active engagements and tens of millions of views.
We have touched on this before in Windletter. I am not opposed to opposition to wind energy, far from it. The problem is that, in general, I rarely see data and reasoned arguments, just catchy and simplistic narratives.
I would like, at some point, to launch a section called Wind Energy Myths to address the main myths with scientific evidence. Time is limited, but we will get there.
📍On holding the event in Madrid
After three editions in Bilbao (2019, 2022 and 2024), WindEurope landed in the Spanish capital for the first time. As we noted a couple of years ago, the venue change seems to have a lot to do with the city of Bilbao itself: despite the BEC performing perfectly well, accommodation, taxis and infrastructure were approaching their capacity limits.
That said, from my humble point of view, Madrid also had a few areas for improvement that I would like to mention (disclaimer: I am from Bilbao, keep that in mind before reading my opinion 🙂).
The nearest metro stop leaves you with a long walk to the north entrance of IFEMA, where the halls were located. Those who drove and chose to park outside the venue had to navigate through roadworks (for the Formula 1 street circuit, I believe), along a poorly signposted route, dusty and shared with cars. That is not the arrival that Europe’s biggest wind energy event deserves. Not to mention the always entertaining Madrid traffic.
On top of that, the sheer size of the Spanish capital means that side events are often very far from the venue or from accommodation, making attendance harder and adding time to every transfer. In Bilbao, my feeling was always that everything was more contained.
And lastly, though I understand it perfectly well given the pull that large cities have (and Madrid is one of Europe’s biggest metropolises), there is something a little sad about the growing feeling that everything happens in Madrid. Well spread is well shared.
But please do not misread me. I want WindEurope to keep coming to Spain every two years. That is great news for the Spanish wind industry. I just wanted to share my impressions. We will come back to Madrid, of course 🙂
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See you next time!
Disclaimer: The opinions presented in Windletter are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
Thanks for this great overview! Would've been cool to catch-up there, perhaps next time :)