In Search of Solid Foundations at Offshore Wind Installation and Maintenance Conference

On 29 October 2014 the Offshore WIND Installation and Maintenance Conference (OWIM) in Amsterdam will be the place to meet the international offshore wind community. The fifth OWIM Conference addresses the multiple challenges associated with solid future industry growth.

This year’s conference theme – In search of solid foundations – hints at the cautiousness players in the wind industry take into account.

Conference Manager Femke Perlot-Hoogeveen explains: “Across the globe, governments are changing their policies to accommodate the deployment of offshore wind energy projects. According to the Global Wind Energy Council market growth over the next five years will be concentrated in Asia, Latin America and Africa – regions from where ‘easy’ growth from rapidly increasing in demand will come. Experiences with on-again, off-again wind energy policy in various countries have made industry players cautious however.”

With speakers including Andy Barwise (Gardline), Bert van der Velden (Boskalis Offshore), Wybran Jansen (Vattenfall), David Hodkinson (Technip) and presentations by DNV GL, Ecofys, the European Commission, Mecal and other prominent offshore wind supply chain organizations and companies, the conference promises to offer valuable content. Previous conferences have brought together hundreds of offshore wind professionals.

Sessions this year focus on offshore grid developments, global business opportunities, supply chain and operational management and the latest developments in foundation design, installation and maintenance. During the grid development session, experts will discuss what is needed to connect to the onshore transmission system, to lower the costs of grid connectivity and to establish a cross-border regulatory framework. In the session on global business opportunities, speakers will share their company’s experiences in China, India and several European countries.

The session on supply chain management concentrates on the optimisation of processes concerning logistics and their cost reducing potential in discussion by representatives of various parts of the value chain. The “Future foundations” session presents innovative concepts and designs for foundations and foundation installation and maintenance.

After experiencing mutual benefits for all participants last year, OWIM Conference will again be held simultaneously with Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference. OWIM Conference delegates have free access to the Offshore Energy Exhibition, offering additional opportunities for networking with offshore contractors, suppliers and service providers. At the same time, it offers Offshore Energy participants an easy way to hear the news of the latest developments in offshore wind.