Obviously, more needs to be done. The main driving force must be getting turbine manufacturers to see the business opportunity of offshore, backed up by national, EU and international public spending. On top of that, we need a strong commitment from the traditional power generation industry. The sheer scale of this event offers wonderful prospects for different players to swap experiences and to give offshore wind power a push forward" A number of leading industry and EU government officials weighed in a the conference, providing insights on their future vision of this emerging technology. · EWEA president Arthouros Zervos called for a Joint Technology Initiative for offshore wind power. This would use joint public and private partnerships and funds to advance the sector's development. He said that such an initiative would "create the necessary onshore and offshore infrastructure" and that it "should be considered for the purpose of increasing renewables, reducing carbon emissions and improving the functioning of the internal energy market through larger interconnectors." · Maud Olofsson, Minister for Enterprise and Energy and Communications, Sweden, said that "actions need to be taken by everyone -- governments, researchers, industry and individuals" to tackle the global climate change challenges. She stressed that "a common EU support for offshore wind is needed," and that industry development should be supported by both EU and national funds. Minister Olofsson talked about the Swedish government's recent proposal for a new "ambitious level of 2,500-3,000 MW of offshore wind by 2016," up from its current total of 135 MW. Its overall renewable electricity target is 17 TWh of renewable electricity by 2016, compared to 2002. · Connie Hedegaard, newly appointed Minister for Climate and Energy, Denmark, said that "already today the Danish wind power industry covers one third of the global market" but that "the Danish government will double the amount of renewable energy in Denmark. The aim is to achieve at least a 30% share of renewables in final energy consumption by 2025. Offshore wind power is likely to be a major contributor." · Michael Müller, Parliamentary State Secretary, German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany, said that Germany's offshore goal is "to add 25,000 MW of offshore wind power by 2030, which will provide 15% of Germany's energy."
Offshore Wind Conference
European government and industry leaders met in Berlin at the Offshore Wind Conference to debate the way forward on renewable energy.
(Source: Offshore Wind Conference - http://www.eow2007.info)
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Marine Technology Reporter 45
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