Two trade bodies join forces in Dutch offshore wind

Holland Home of Wind Energy (HHWE) and the trade organisation NMT-IRO say they will officially merge from January 2026 ’to form one unified association with a single, powerful voice both internationally and within the Netherlands’.

The agreement was approved during an extraordinary general meeting, with ’strong support’ from its members, the HHWE said.

“By combining our knowledge, networks and initiatives, we increase our impact and are better positioned to support the international growth ambitions of our members,” said NMT-IRO director Jeroen de Graaf. “This merger creates a stronger, more unified representation of the Dutch offshore wind sector abroad.”

The merger intends to offer more efficiency and visibility in international trade missions and exhibitions, the statement says – something that could be important given the recent news that the Dutch government has shelved two offshore wind farms and changed the criteria for a third, as reported in Maritime Journal.

HHWe calls itself a committed export partner for Dutch wind energy with the contacts to unite Dutch firms and help members access opportunities further afield than the Netherlands, with trade missions and ‘matchmaking events’. NMT-IRO is a network of Dutch shipyards, suppliers and other organisations within maritime technology.

Shortly after announcing the merger, HHWE said the offshore wind structure firm Smulders had joined its ranks, bringing expertise in transition pieces, jackets, offshore substations and secondary steel structures.

Smulders operates across a strategically located network of production facilities in Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Poland.