“Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium” Opens Up New Perspectives for Offshore Wind Projects (USA)

Second Offshore Summit in Rostock in September 2010: Knowledge Exchange Between Representatives of German and U.S. Government Agencies and International Offshore Experts

The United States are starting to rely increasingly on ocean wind for energy generation. Last month, the “Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium” was established: U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the governors from Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina signed a Memorandum of Understanding to streamline offshore projects that span multiple states and to optimize expertise across state boundaries. “I am very pleased to be joining with the governors of Atlantic coastal states to promote the safe and environmentally responsible development of the exceptional wind energy resources off our coasts,” Salazar said.

The U.S. offshore market is growing at a fast pace: At the beginning of 2009, there were 5 offshore projects off the coasts of the U.S., at the end of 2009, there were 20. The target is 54 GW offshore capacity by 2030. At present, 83 percent of all offshore turbines are manufactured in Europe, which means great export opportunities to the U.S. for European manufacturing companies and service providers.

Offshore Momentum in the Baltic Sea: Mecklenburg Vorpommern is making its mark in offshore

The German offshore market has gained considerable momentum in the Northern Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. “EnBW Baltic 1” is the first commercial wind park in the Baltic Sea. It is under construction at present and consists of 21 wind turbines that cover an area of about 7 square kilometers. With a total capacity of 48.3 MW, the wind farm will generate 185 gigawatt hours of electricity annually over a lifespan of 30 years.

“The growth potential for wind energy in Mecklenburg Vorpommern is very good,” says Juergen Seidel, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Already now, 44% of the electricity needed in the state comes from renewable sources – two thirds from wind energy. “We have ambitious goals for Mecklenburg Vorpommern, outlined in the strategy paper “Energy State 2010” and

“Action Plan Climate Protection MV”. Renewable energy and energy efficiency are key future technologies and the fastest growing industry sectors in the state,” adds the minister.

Transatlantic Dialog in Action: 2nd Offshore Summit in Rostock, Germany, September 1-4, 2010

Just a short boat ride away from “EnBW Baltic 1″, the GADORE Center USA and Invest in Mecklenburg Vorpommern are organizing the Transatlantic Offshore Summit in Rostock, September 1 – 4, 2010. At the event, experts from European and North American offshore companies and associations as well as representatives of German and U.S. Federal Government Agencies will provide unparalleled insights into the international offshore market. ” It is important to include specialized wind energy companies from Germany early into the transatlantic dialog,” says Annette Nuesslein, Managing Director of the GADORE Center USA in Philadelphia. GADORE stands for German American Dialog On Renewable Energy – and the name is synonymous with the company’s mission: The center is focussed on collaboration between German and North American renewable energy companies, including industry associations and networks in the renewable energy market.

High caliber presenters at the event include: Laura Smith Morton. U.S. Department of Energy, Maureen Bornholdt, U.S. Department of the Interior, Greg Watson, Vice Chairman of the Board, US Offshore Wind Collaborative, Achim Berge, wpd offshore solutions, Germany, Eduard Sala de Vedruna, Emerging Energy Research, Spain, Thomas Karst, Director, MAKE Consulting, Denmark, and many more. Participants in the event will also be able to take a boat tour to the offshore wind park “Baltic 1”.

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Source: prnewswire, July 07, 2010;