Growth Centre to Partner with Offshore Conference OBMC

The use of wind energy has come a long way from its early pioneering years and now represents a global industry. The cradle of wind energy, Denmark and the region of Schleswig-Holstein, remains an important location for globally active wind energy companies and wishes to strengthen its international competitiveness as such.

The purpose of the new partnership between windcomm, Schleswig-Holstein’s network agency for wind energy located in Husum, and the “Growth Centre – success for the Danish-German region”, located in Padborg, is to strengthen networking and mutual cooperation between wind energy companies and institutions from both sides of the border. Initially, the focus will be on offshore wind energy.

The Growth Centre (Danish: Vækstcentret) promotes economic and cultural relations between southern Denmark and northern Schleswig-Holstein. “Renewable energies are a market with dynamic growth and excellent prospects. It is a main focus of both Danish and German economy and can serve as example for other regions”, says Stephan Kleinschmidt, director of the Growth Center. windcomm’s Project Manager, Martin Schmidt, adds: “Offshore wind energy is a particularly apt field for German-Danish cooperation because the construction and operation of wind farms at sea requires a much higher degree of international cooperation than onshore wind energy.” In terms of installed offshore wind capacity Denmark holds second position globally. By the year 2020 half of Denmark’s electricity is to come from wind energy. In order to achieve this, the country will be installing wind energy plants with a capacity of 1800 MW onshore and 1500 MW offshore, in addition to the almost 4 GW capacity (1 GW of this offshore) currently available. As Schmidt explained, “This will also create market potential for German companies, for example in the fields of service and maintenance.”

The offshore event OBMC on 24 and 25 September 2013 is being organised jointly this year by windcomm and the Growth Centre as a German-Danish exchange. Speakers from the Danish Wind Energy Association and the offshore network Offshorenergy.dk will be informing about market conditions in our neighbouring country. ‘Matchmaking’ meetings will also be arranged: Conference delegates who wish to take part will be able to name the industrial sector in which they are interested, as well as any other relevant business information, and will then have the opportunity for a short discussion with potential business partners. Trips to the Danish offshore ports Esbjerg and Havneby on the Island of Rømø will provide further opportunities for developing business relations. In addition, a visiting trip to the Training Centre for Renewable Energy (BZEE) in Husum will be offered.

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Press release, August 21, 2013; Image: windcomm