The programme for WINDFORCE Baltic Sea is impressive. In two days, more than 100 conference participants will get a comprehensive view of issues related to renewable energy production in the Baltic Sea.
Eight theme sessions and 30 international speakers will deal with nearly everything in the value-adding chain, from research, installation and logistics to financing, grid connection and political support measures.
Two speakers, Dr Katrin Lummer from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) and Peter Frohboese from GL Garrad Hassan, will talk about “icing”, a particular challenge in the Baltic.
Hochtief, Ballast Nedam and General Cable/NSW will report on their recent experience installing Baltic 2. Barbara Zuiderwijk, director of Green Giraffe Energy Bankers in the Netherlands, will discuss the issue of financing offshore wind farms.
As the host country, Poland will be the focus of an entire session of its own. Seven national wind energy associations in the Baltic region are contributing to a particularly interesting discussion, with leading representatives from Germany, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Denmark and Sweden talking about the next steps to be taken in their countries.
As Jens Eckhoff, president of Germany’s Offshore Wind Energy Foundation and managing director of WINDFORCE, points out: “The development of offshore wind energy in these seven countries is vastly different. In a concentrated format, the conference will offer an excellent opportunity to find out more about these developments”.
Bremen’s senator for economics, Martin Günthner (SPD), is taking advantage of this opportunity and will also attend the conference.
The programme will provide time for speakers to talk personally with participants. The conference fee includes a dinner on the evening of the first day of the conference, not only inviting participants to enjoy Polish culinary specialties but also giving them the chance to gain an impression of the beautiful and historic Hanseatic city of Gdansk.
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Press release, January 13, 2014; Image: windforce2014