As part of his summer trip, Lower Saxony’s Minister for Science and Culture, Falko Mohrs, visited the ForWind WindLab on the Wechloy campus of the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg at the beginning of September 2024. The focus of the visit was an insight into the research work at ForWind, as well as an intensive exchange on the scientific monitoring of the future expansion of renewable energies, in particular wind energy.
Minister Mohrs particularly emphasised ForWind’s application-oriented research: ‘Lower Saxony is the number one wind energy state in Germany – one in five wind turbines is located here. We want to further expand this leading role, for a secure energy supply and as an important component of the energy transition. This requires intensive research and innovative solutions, which ForWind plays a key role in driving forward. As a joint centre for wind energy research at the universities of Oldenburg, Hanover and Bremen, ForWind forms a unique research network in Germany, which is excellently networked and recognised both in Lower Saxony and internationally.’ During his visit, he was able to experience a part of the unique ForWind research infrastructure live in the wind tunnel and gained an insight into the diverse networks at regional, national and international level in which ForWind operates and further develops the scientific foundation for the energy transition. As an expression of this network concept, Sebastian Lehnhof, spokesman of the efzn board, and Carsten Agert, head of the DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems, also took part in the event. The Executive Board of the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg was also represented by its five Vice Presidents.
Together with the Minister, Ulf Prange, Member of the State Parliament for Oldenburg-Mitte/Süd and Björn Thümler, Member of the State Parliament and predecessor of Falko Mohrs as State Minister for Science and Culture, took the opportunity to find out more about the work of ForWind.
The work of ForWind was demonstrated by the two professors Martin Kühn and Kerstin Avila using practical examples, before the group was then able to experience in the wind tunnel the dynamics that wind can generate not only as a research topic but also as a source of power. ForWind Managing Director Stephan Barth emphasised that ForWind’s research infrastructure is unique worldwide and thanked the Minister for 20 years of support from the state of Lower Saxony: ‘The development of ForWind as a cross-location and cross-disciplinary centre for wind energy research is a 20-year success story. Most of our research projects are carried out together with partners from industry and make an important contribution to the transfer of research results into practice. We are grateful to the state of Lower Saxony for its long-term co-operation and support. Just last year, two internationally outstanding wind energy research infrastructures were inaugurated, which Lower Saxony made possible together with the federal government. The expansion of the large wave channel in Hanover and the construction of a research wind farm in the district of Stade offer wind energy researchers completely new opportunities. These will certainly contribute to the accelerated expansion of wind energy on land and at sea, technically secured and on a solid scientific basis.’
Minister Mohrs particularly emphasised ForWind’s application-oriented research: ‘Lower Saxony is the number one wind energy state in Germany – one in five wind turbines is located here. We want to further expand this leading role, for a secure energy supply and as an important component of the energy transition. This requires intensive research and innovative solutions, which ForWind plays a key role in driving forward. As a joint centre for wind energy research at the universities of Oldenburg, Hanover and Bremen, ForWind forms a unique research network in Germany, which is excellently networked and recognised both in Lower Saxony and internationally.’ During his visit, he was able to experience a part of the unique ForWind research infrastructure live in the wind tunnel and gained an insight into the diverse networks at regional, national and international level in which ForWind operates and further develops the scientific foundation for the energy transition. As an expression of this network concept, Sebastian Lehnhof, spokesman of the efzn board, and Carsten Agert, head of the DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems, also took part in the event. The Executive Board of the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg was also represented by its five Vice Presidents.
Together with the Minister, Ulf Prange, Member of the State Parliament for Oldenburg-Mitte/Süd and Björn Thümler, Member of the State Parliament and predecessor of Falko Mohrs as State Minister for Science and Culture, took the opportunity to find out more about the work of ForWind.
The work of ForWind was demonstrated by the two professors Martin Kühn and Kerstin Avila using practical examples, before the group was then able to experience in the wind tunnel the dynamics that wind can generate not only as a research topic but also as a source of power. ForWind Managing Director Stephan Barth emphasised that ForWind’s research infrastructure is unique worldwide and thanked the Minister for 20 years of support from the state of Lower Saxony: ‘The development of ForWind as a cross-location and cross-disciplinary centre for wind energy research is a 20-year success story. Most of our research projects are carried out together with partners from industry and make an important contribution to the transfer of research results into practice. We are grateful to the state of Lower Saxony for its long-term co-operation and support. Just last year, two internationally outstanding wind energy research infrastructures were inaugurated, which Lower Saxony made possible together with the federal government. The expansion of the large wave channel in Hanover and the construction of a research wind farm in the district of Stade offer wind energy researchers completely new opportunities. These will certainly contribute to the accelerated expansion of wind energy on land and at sea, technically secured and on a solid scientific basis.’
