The European Offshore Wind 2009 conference in Stockholm served as a backdrop for the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) to launch a new report this week entitled “Oceans of Opportunity”, outlining the full extent of European offshore wind energy potential.
"There is huge developer interest in offshore wind power" said Arthuros Zervos, President of EWEA. "The scale of planned projects is far greater than most people realise."
European Offshore Wind 2009, organised by EWEA, is Europe’s biggest-ever gathering of the industry, attracting over over 3,000 people including European Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs; Swedish Deputy Prime Minister and President of the EU Energy Ministers Council, Maud Olofsson; and representatives of Europe's electricity producers and suppliers, wind energy equipment manufacturers and financial investors amongst others.
Andris Piebalgs gave his support to the report, saying that "harnessing the winds off Europe's coasts - starting with the planned projects announced today by EWEA - would provide an answer to the global challenges of climate change, depleting indigenous energy resources, increasing fuel costs and the threat of energy supply disruptions. The European Commission is committed to doing everything we can to support offshore wind developers and make sure their planned projects come to fruition".
Minister Maud Olofsson agreed that "the resource is there and the developers are ready. Provided governments are ready to play their part, we can revolutionise Europe's energy future."
Other keynote speakers at the opening of the biennial event included Eamon Ryan, Irish Energy Minister, and David Kidney from the UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change. The conference is being chaired by Andreas Nauen, CEO of Siemens Wind Power.
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