ForWind

Torsten Schlurmann elected to the board of the newly formed German Marine Research Alliance

forwindadmin — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:32:17 +0000

The German Marine Research Alliance (DAM) and the German Marine Research Consortium (KDM) have officially completed their merger. The new association will continue the activities of both organizations under the name German Marine Research Alliance.

ForWind board member Torsten Schlurmann, Managing Director of the Ludwig-Franzius-Institute for Hydraulic, Estuarine and Coastal Engineering (LuFI) at Leibniz Universität Hannover and the Coastal Research Center, was elected to the five-member board of the new DAM.

ForWind congratulates and looks forward to working with the combined marine research community – especially with regard to current and future research projects in the field of offshore wind energy.

Image copyright: DAM / Jörg Modrow

Prof. Dr. Jannika Mattes is a new ForWind member

forwindadmin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 08:35:26 +0000

Jannika Mattes is a new ForWind member

At the February meeting of the ForWind Board of Directors, Prof. Dr. Jannika Mattes was accepted as a new member of ForWind. Mattes is Professor of Organization and Innovation at the Institute of Social Sciences at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg.

Jannika Mattes studied European Economics at the Universities of Bamberg and Granada and received her doctorate from the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg in 2010. After working as a research assistant and postdoctoral researcher, she was a junior professor for the sociology of European societies. Research stays have taken her abroad, including to London and Sweden.

In her research, Mattes deals with innovation processes, organizational structures and transition processes, particularly in the field of renewable energies and wind energy. A particular focus is on the analysis of social dynamics in connection with the energy transition. Among other things, she examines how institutional framework conditions and social dynamics shape technological developments such as wind energy.

With Jannika Mattes, ForWind is expanding its social science expertise in the field of wind energy and energy research. This will further strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation between engineering, natural science and social science disciplines.

Website of Jannika Mattes (Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg)

ForWind – Currently no open positions

forwindadmin — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:24:51 +0000

There are currently no open positions at ForWind.

WindRamp II: Measurements have started

forwindadmin — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:31:48 +0000

Research project uses the latest laser-technology for improved forecasts of offshore wind

The expansion of offshore wind energy will be rapidly driven forward over the next few years. The German government’s expansion plans aim to increase the capacity of offshore wind energy to at least 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and to at least 70 GW by 2045. Accurate and reliable power forecasts for wind farms and wind farm clusters are required to integrate this additional capacity into the electricity system. These forecasts make it possible to predict short-term fluctuations of power output caused by strong variations in wind speed, known as wind ramps, and to react accordingly in order to ensure even further optimized utilization of the capacities of the wind farms and the electricity grid.

An important milestone in the WindRamp II research project was the start of the first measurement campaign at the Amrumbank West offshore wind farm. Three long-range scanning lidar systems were installed on selected wind turbines in spring 2025. In addition, meteorological sensors are being used to collect data on atmospheric stability and the vertical structure of the wind field (‘profile’ estimates). The aim of this measurement campaign is to obtain comprehensive information about the inflow of the wind farm, up to a distance of fifteen kilometers upstream. Amrumbank West is located around 35 kilometers northwest of Heligoland in the German Bight. With 80 wind turbines, it is one of the largest offshore wind farms in Germany, with a total installed capacity of around 302 megawatts. Since its commissioning in 2015, the RWE-operated wind farm generates enough energy to supply around 300,000 households with electricity. The geographical location and size of the park offer ideal conditions for validating the technologies used in the project.

Short-term changes in wind speed – so-called ramp events – can often not be predicted accurately enough using conventional methods. Therefore, a central aspect of the project is to use long-range scanning lidar devices to extend the forecasting horizon and to improve the quality of the forecasts. On this basis, observer-based wind power forecasts can be created. In combination with short-term lidar forecasts and simultaneous grid flexibilization, this can help to optimize the curtailment of offshore wind energy due to grid bottlenecks and minimize the need for balancing energy.

With the ‘WindRamp II’ project, ForWind Oldenburg is building on the successful work of the ‘WindRamp’ project completed in December 2023, in which an observer-based minute-scale forecast for wind speed and power was researched. The aim of the new project is to extend these forecasting methods to heterogeneous wind farm clusters with very large wind turbines and to develop new methods that improve forecast accuracy, the forecast horizon and reliability in unfavorable weather conditions.

The project is being coordinated by ForWind – Center for Wind Energy Research at the Universities of Oldenburg, Hanover and Bremen. The joint partners include energy & meteo systems, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) – Institut für Vernetzte Energiesysteme and RWE. METEK, Abacus Laser and Tennet are involved as associated partners. The project is receiving financial funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWE).

The sub-project of ForWind Oldenburg aims to extend the observer-based forecast to heterogeneous wind farm clusters with very large wind turbines and to develop new methods for increased forecast accuracy and an extended forecast horizon. The aim of the Wind Energy Systems research group at the University of Oldenburg is to use the improved power forecasts to develop more reliable system integration of wind energy with less need for balancing energy and warnings in the event of expected ramp events. The novel technologies of ‘XXL’ long-range scanning lidar devices with improved range and higher resolution developed in the WindRamp project by Abacus Laser and METEK will be used for this purpose.

As part of WindRamp II, project partner RWE will test such a new type of XXL-lidar prototype that will be able to capture the wind field over a distance of up to 25 kilometers. This innovative device has now been delivered. It will now undergo an onshore test phase in northern Germany. Next year, the XXL lidar will be tested in an offshore wind farm cluster off Heligoland as part of the ongoing project to evaluate and optimise the practicality and effectiveness of the technology in real offshore conditions.

The DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems, which is also involved in the project, uses lidar minute-scale forecasts to optimize the integration of fluctuating offshore wind energy into the electricity system. What is new is that the expected skill of the lidar forecast is taken into account in order to increase the reliable scheduling of wind power and that of other power plants with the overarching goal to reduce system integration costs.

energy & meteo systems will use wind data from lidar measurements and current generation data from several offshore wind farms to improve short-term power forecasts. Combining these data sources will not only further increase the accuracy of forecasts but also enable the development of effective and timely early warnings of ramping events for electricity traders and grid operators.

The project term ends in May 2027 and the results will not only be made available in scientific publications but will also find concrete application in practice. Particularly noteworthy here is the collaboration with the OranjeWind offshore wind farm, which is still under construction. Parallel to WindRamp II, OranjeWind is supporting the demonstration of a real-time system for short-term power forecasting at the Amrumbank-West wind farm. The experience gained from both projects will then be incorporated into a power forecasting pilot project at the OranjeWind offshore wind farm once it is operational.

Team of scientists during the offshore lidar installation. Image rights: ForWind – Center for Wind Energy Research

XXL-Scanning Lidar at the start of onshore testing. Image rights: ForWind – Center for Wind Energy Research

Scanning Lidar devices in the Amrumbank West offshore wind farm. Image rights: ForWind – Center for Wind Energy Research

ForWind expertise in the “Knowledge creates energy” lecture series in Hanover

forwindadmin — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 13:01:54 +0000

On November 12, 2025, another contribution to the lecture series “Knowledge creates energy – energy research for the city of tomorrow” took place at Leibniz Universität Hannover. The series in the Science Year Future Energy is organized in cooperation with the Volkshochschule Hannover.

The lecture “Smart grids – keeping the energy supply stable” highlighted the key technical challenges of the energy transition. It was presented by two ForWind scientists:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Lutz Hofmann, Institute for Electrical Energy Systems, and
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Axel Mertens, Institute for Drive Systems and Power Electronics.

The focus was on the question of how an electricity system increasingly dominated by wind and photovoltaic generation can be operated in a stable manner. Hofmann and Mertens explained how power-electronically connected generation plants, modern control and regulation technology and digital IT infrastructures can be networked to create an intelligent, flexible smart grid. Based on current research work, they showed what requirements are placed on the modeling, simulation and grid integration of decentralized systems – and what technical solutions are being tested today.

The event made it clear how important systems engineering research is for the secure operation of a renewable, digitalized energy system and what contributions LUH and ForWind are making to this.

International research cooperation on energy innovations

forwindadmin — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:56:06 +0000

ForWind Managing Director Dr. Stephan Barth took part in the panel discussion on international research cooperation on energy innovations at the BMWE’s 2nd Energy Research Conference. Under the motto “Energy innovations for competitiveness and resilience”, the 2nd Energy Research Conference of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy took place on 11 and 12 November 2025 at the Futurium in Berlin. Around 300 experts from science, innovative companies and trade associations came together over the two days to discuss current developments and future priorities in energy research. Among other things, the relaunch of the real-world laboratories of the energy transition was discussed, as were topics relating to research transfer and research funding in various formats.

Stephan Barth was able to draw on ForWind’s many years of diverse experience to contribute to international research cooperation. We have been cooperating at international level with various organizations and international partner institutes for years and a large number of our research projects have been carried out together with international partners.

ISD colloquium on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary

forwindadmin — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 06:52:40 +0000

The colloquium was organized on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Institute of Structural Analysis (ISD) and more than 10 years of operation of the Test Centre for Support Structures (TTH). The event brought together over 100 participants from around the world. The program highlighted cutting-edge research in multifunctional, lightweight, and durable structures, with a particular focus on wind and aerospace applications.

Eight distinguished scientists from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, and Germany presented their latest findings on various aspects of the colloquium’s thematic topics. The event also featured a dedicated visit to the TTH, including the New Large Wave Current Flume (GWK+), which showcased state-of-the-art testing facilities and offered unique insights into experimental methods for offshore and wind energy structures.

The ISD is one of more than 30 member institutes of ForWind, and Prof. Dr. Raimund Rolfes is the spokesperson for the ForWind Executive Board.

Image rights: “ISD/Leibniz Universität Hannover”

ForWind at the MatchMaking Symposium Wind Energy

forwindadmin — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 06:19:54 +0000

How can research and industry work even more closely together in the future to accelerate the expansion of wind energy? This question was the focus of the MatchMaking Symposium Wind, which was organized by VDMA Power Systems together with the Energy Research Networks.

ForWind researchers were also actively represented among the hundred or so participants from science, business and politics. In various breakout sessions, they contributed their expertise in areas such as system integration and energy transition infrastructure, life cycle management and digitalization.

In the opening discussion, Prof. Dr. Kerstin Avila (University of Oldenburg, ForWind) presented the Living Lab 70 GW Offshore Wind as a key example of application-oriented energy research. She emphasized the importance of collaborative projects between industry, research institutions and universities, which make it possible to combine short-term technological solutions with long-term development paths.

The symposium was not only used for thematic networking, but also to initiate new project partnerships. Representatives from companies such as Siemens Gamesa, Enercon, Vestas and Nordex discussed the future needs of the wind industry with researchers – such as flexible turbine operation, automation and data acquisition standards.

The event impressively demonstrated how important the exchange between science and industry is for the successful implementation of the energy transition – and how the Living Lab 70 GW Offshore Wind is helping to shape this dialog.

More information: https://www.forschungsnetzwerke-energie.de/news/de/matchmaking-symposium-windenergie-bedarfe-industrie

Image rights: “Project Management Jülich / Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH”

ForWind Wind Physics Symposium 2025

forwindadmin — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:08:42 +0000

The fifth annual ForWind Wind Physics Symposium takes place on Monday, September 29th 2025 at the ForWind WindLab, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Campus Wechloy.

Together with our partners from academia and industry we explore the latest research results of our ForWind members as well as our partners and discuss application oriented research methods and current and planned projects.

Please save the date and join us in September in Oldenburg.

Representatives of Lower Saxony state politics visit: Two delegations visit wind tunnel

forwindadmin — Thu, 08 May 2025 12:52:15 +0000

Over the past few weeks, ForWind’s WindLab has once again been a meeting point for the exchange between cutting-edge wind energy research and key players in Lower Saxony’s state politics.

In the run-up to Science Minister Falko Mohrs’ trip to Groningen, representativesof the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK), university presidentsand representatives of the Volkswagen Stiftung and PTB Braunschweig visited the ForWind WindLab at the University of Oldenburg. The guests were given a comprehensive insight into the turbulent wind tunnel and learned about current projects such as the Living Lab 70 GW Offshore Wind and the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 1463 “Offshore Megastructures”.

Two weeks later, ForWind welcomed the Presidium of the Lower Saxony State Parliament, accompanied by a delegation from the Grand Council of the Canton of Bern. After a detailed presentation of current challenges and research approaches, these visitors were also able to see the practical relevance of our research for themselves during an impressive demonstration in the wind tunnel.