LIVE BLOG: Offshore Energy and Navingo Career 2021 events

Business Developments & Projects

October 27, 2021, by Adnan Durakovic

Aaaaaaand scene! The 14th Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference is in the books and, in case you were not able to join us over the past two days, the video below gives you a little taste of what it was like to be at RAI Amsterdam in person!

17.10 Closing the 14th OEEC and the 15th NCE

Anne Visser, Director of Operations at Navingo BV, and Coco Kossmann have closed the Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference and the Navingo Career Event 2021.

After two days filled with face-to-face meetings, interesting talk shows, energy talks, inspiring innovations from the exhibition floor, and insights from experts, the time has come to close the curtain on this year’s edition of the two events.

Organised for the first time as a hybrid event, the OEEC/NCE provided the offshore energy industry with a chance to meet both in-person at RAI Amsterdam and online through the digital platform.

This format provided more people with a chance to get informed on the latest updates within the offshore energy industry, to exchange ideas, and to network.

For many of those attending, this was the first in-person event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fact which was clearly obvious to anyone present due to the high level of enthusiasm experienced during the last two days.

The next edition of the Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference and the Navingo Career Event will take place on 29 and 30 November at RAI Amsterdam.

We hope to see you there again next year!

17.00 Hard to believe that the Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference and the Navingo Career Event have come to an end.

The best way to cap these two days off is with a drink at the Navingo BV booth!

17.00 Buccaneer Delft and Port XL are hosting networking drinks at the Startup Zone.

16.30 More Renewables = Less Dependence on Gas | Energy transition; who leads the dance? – Talk Show

The final Talk Show of this year’s OEEC revolved around the current volatility in gas prices and how this affects energy transition.

Annemiek Asschert, Deputy Programme Manager Advice & Innovation at EBN; Aernout Korevaar, Technical Director, ONE-Dyas; and Patricia Seibold, Manager Transaction & Deals, PwC, offered insights and answers to the question of whose role should it be to lead the energy transition.

The panelists agreed that gas is here to stay as part of the energy mix for some time.

However, the current volatility in the gas markets and the gas prices could have been offset by more renewable energy sources, the panel suggested.

”If we can put more renewable energy into the mix, we would be less dependent on the gas,” Asschert said.

The panel also discussed how the high gas prices have led to some Asian countries using oil instead of gas for electricity production, leading to the increase in emissions and carbon footprint of the respective countries.

When it comes to the Netherlands, the parallel was drawn between the gas which is imported and the gas which is produced locally which is said to have a 30 per cent lower carbon footprint compared to the imported one.

On the other hand, the silver lining to the high gas prices could be that they make some renewable energy projects more attractive to investors, Asschert and Seibold agreed.

The discussion then turned to energy storage solutions, including hydrogen, and the electrification of the offshore oil and gas operations through the use of renewable energy, namely offshore wind.

For more on this session, and all of our previous Energy Talks and Talk Shows, please visit our On-Demand section.

16:10 Global market updates

In this session, the updates are from Occitanie, France. The guests are Julien Ciglar, Chef de Project Energies Marines Renouvelables at Occitanie regio agenschap AD’DOC and Marie-Laure Barois, Coordinator at Wind’OCC. They shared the current developments on the floating offshore wind in Occitanie, France.

Barois: “This event is a great opportunity to create contacts, especially strenghtening the bond between the French and Dutch companies. It’s great way to gain competence from each other in the floating offshore wind development.”

16.00 The Offshore community Rotterdam hosted the Hats On, Hats Off quiz at their stand, powered by the Port of Rotterdam and the Rotterdam Port Promotion Council.

15.20 Energy transition highly attractive to young professionals, according to Robert Plat, Principal Consultant Offshore, Royal IHC

”Every time we post a vacancy which contains the phrase ‘energy transition’ in it, the number of applicants rises tenfold,” Robert Plat, Principal Consultant Offshore, Royal IHC said, adding that this is a great indicator that potential employees, especially younger generations, are eager to be part of the shift to a more sustainable future.

Speaking of OEEC, Plat pointed out that this event is a good measuring stick to gauge how far along the offshore industry is with the energy transition, and that it also provides a look into new technological advances such as new vessels, marine fuels, and other innovations.

15.00 Employer insights & tips – Live Studio

The second part of today’s Employer insights & tips included Floor Spaargaren, Project Manager Offshore at MARIN, and Karola van der Meij, Team Leader Cruise & Ferry at MARIN.

Having a passion for maritime industries is key to a successful career at MARIN, van der Meij said.

14.30 The analyst – Energy Talk

In this Energy Talks, Richard Brakenhoff, Independent Analyst and Björn van de Weerdhof, Manager Business and Fleet Development at Anthony Veder discussed the progress of energy transition, the plans for 2050 and future scenarios.

Energy is not easy to realise because of a combination of factors, argues Richard Brakenhoff. 5 trillion euros of investment is required. Who will pay for that? Governments are confronted with huge deficits. Can they handle it?; asked Brakenhoff.

“Total energy consumption has to go down. Around 50 % has to be electricity by 2050”, argued Brakenhoff. He added that a lot of countries have to go net-zero but 2050, and they have to do it quickly before it’s too late.

Van de Weerdhof: “We have a huge challenge to reduce emissions in the maritime industry and we need to act fast. Governments should provide a regulatory framework to accelerate energy transition.”

14.00 Next generation perspectives – Live Studio

This instalment of the Next Generations Perspectives session included Dione Zijp, Secretary Youth For Climate at Youth for Climate; Tessa Dool, Board Member of Youth Climate Vision, Jonge Klimaatbeweging; and Elise de Groote, Studies Applied Physics University Twente, Energietalenten.

The participants discussed the roles of their generation in the energy transition and if sustainability initiatives are part of their future professional employment.

They also shared their perspectives on how the issue of sustainability is being tackled now by employers, the governments, and globally.

The session provided an insight into how young professionals deal with the issues of the energy transition in their daily lives and what they would do if they were in positions of power.

The participants agreed that energy transition and climate change are issues that affect all generations and professions and that it will take a joint effort across the age and professional spectrum to tackle these issues.

13.30 More details from the Dutch Government’s Offshore Wind Workshop

Yesterday we promised to provide you with additional details on the new information with regards to the tendering procedure for the Hollandse Kust West offshore wind zone in the Dutch North Sea.

Today, we are delivering on that promise. Head to our sister site offshoreWIND.biz to find out which details the Dutch Government revealed about the tender in their masterclass during the Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference.

While there, you can also read about the increase in the size of the IJmuiden Ver offshore wind zone, also touched upon during the workshop.

13.00 Live from the exhibition floor – Gallery

The exhibition floor is pulsing with activity again on the day two. This gallery will provide you with a taste of what is currently going on across the stands.

12.15 SMEs MEA – Live Studio

The second Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Marine Energy Alliance (MEA) session included Max Duursma, CEO at Ocean Grazer, and Harry Post, Founder at SolarDuck.

Post: “Our product, floating offshore solar is targeted more in Asia in the sun-rich regions but it is also an option for the Netherlands in combination with offshore wind. We are working towards convincing the industry to embrace the floating offshore solar as a real potential for energy.”

Duursma: “Being part of Marine Energy Initiative is supportive because it brings us in contact with other small to medium companies. We consider ourselves colleagues and not competitors. We need to collaborate to combine our efforts together.”

Additionally, Duursma argued that, as a company specialising in energy storage solutions they still see a lot of domination of the fossil energy in the market.

“We need to work towards proving the potential of our technology. Being part of the MEA initiative helps in achieving this ambition,” Duursma said.

12.00 Masterclass on Hydrogen Development by Dutch Government

The Government of the Netherlands is present at the Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference (OEEC2021) where it is hosting two exclusive masterclass sessions on hydrogen and offshore wind for international government delegations and invited businesses.

The second day of OEEC is reserved for the masterclass on Hydrogen Development where the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) is sharing Dutch experiences with hydrogen and the potential of this type of energy source.

The masterclass offers a chance to the Dutch government to share their know-how and ideas on the topic with representatives of other governments in an effort to strengthen government-to-government liaisons, share best practices, and provide insights into how the Dutch experience with hydrogen can be implemented and exported elsewhere.

The discussions have included hydrogen policies, the ways to reduce costs and scale up the production, blending, as well as coupling the hydrogen with offshore wind

The masterclass also provided an insight into how to stimulate demand and give hydrogen as an alternative fuel a broader public recognition.

Those attending learned that Dutch electrolyzers could be the possibility in the next five to ten years, and that young people are keen to work on the development of green hydrogen.

The discussion then turned to the international approach to the development of hydrogen, and the option of importing this fuel.

The masterclass is still ongoing and will run until 14.30 today.

11.30 The front runners – Energy Talk

The first Energy Talk of the day tackled the role of the pioneers in the offshore energy industry.

Chris Westra, CEO of Offshore Service Facilities, and Barbara Zuiderwijk, Director at Green Giraffe, offered insights in what it takes to be the first mover and what challenges lay ahead.

The speakers touched upon the increase in the size of offshore wind turbines and how it affects the installation fleet.

Some of the topics also included floating wind, producing hydrogen at sea, and energy islands.

11:00 Next generation perspectives

This Live Studio session provided young professionals and students with a chance to share their experiences in energy fields they are active in.

The programme, shaped together with student and youth associations, was part of the Navingo Career Event which runs alongside the Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference.

The participants in the session were Jack Landsmeer, Chairman at A.S.V. Nautis; Floor Walterbos, a Student of Electrical Engineering at TU Delft; and Ruben de Nie, Chairman & Portfolio Manager at Young IRO & Damen.

Landsmeer: “I chose to do a study in the maritime field because it is a very wide industry. I enjoy the practical side of the work that is brought to us from the start of the study.”

Walterbos: “I am passionate about computer engineering, the ‘chips’ to be more exact. Translating modern problems into digital solutions is what I do.”

De Nie: “If I would be in a decision-making position I would foster more collaboration. No one can do it by yourself. Creating a common vision, more partnerships and communities is important.”

10.30 SMEs MEA – Live Studio

The Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Marine Energy Alliance (MEA) session included Danny Golden, Director at Dublin Offshore.

The session shed light on specialities of this start-up, mainly marine energy systems and mooring systems for floating wind.

Duffy also pointed out that Dublin Offshore can be contacted at the Marine Energy Pavillion during OEEC.

10.00 Renewables are not the only solution – Talk Show

We are kicking off the formal part of the second day with the Talk Show titled Renewables Are Not the Only Solution.

Henrik Frederiksen, Head of Market at Rohde Nielsen, Marco Hoogendoorn, Director at Holland Shipyards Group, and Basjan Faber, CEO at C-Job Naval Architects are offering a deep dive into what will be needed for Europe to reach the climate-neutral status by 2050 and if renewables are the only way to go.

The topics touched upon include nuclear energy, geoengineering, carbon capture, energy efficiency and climate adaptation.

”The technology is there but how can we make it feasible? We need a push for regulations and from the market as well,” Faber said.

Talking about the fuels of the future, Frederiksen and Faber agreed that Hydrogen is the answer, but that a lot of technology has to be developed for this to become reality.

Faber also added that the disadvantage of hydrogen is that the storage possibilities are limited.

For more on today’s Energy Talks and Talk Shows, as well as the Live Studio, make sure to visit our On Demand section.

10.00 Employer insights & tips – Live Studio

Our Live Studio programme on Day 2 started with Employer insights & tips where employers exchanged ideas with the help of Eva Brouwer, the moderator.

Representatives from Huisman Equipment and Nevesbu, a naval architecture and marine engineering company, discussed the points of attention during the recruitment process to achieve the perfect match, the lasting effects of the pandemic on the workplace, how a sustainable value chain affects jobs in the sector, and what are the must-have skills to realize the energy transition.

”We need more people to join us as the market has been good to us,” the representative from Nevesbu said, adding that anyone interested in joining the company could visit their stand at the OEEC.

The session also included several informative videos showcasing companies such as Sensing360, Protea, TWD, and others.

09.30 Introduction to day two with Navingo

Anne Visser, Director of Operations at Navingo BV, caught up with the event moderator Eva Brouwer to discuss what the day two of the OEEC and NCE will offer.

”Yesterday we had very good energy with a packed content programme. Today we can expect another day filled with sessions, networking moments, and lively interactions,” Visser said.

One of the highlights today is the Masterclass on Hydrogen from the Government of the Netherlands.

”Hydrogen is a hot topic in the energy transition and many parties are interested to learn how to make an effective use of that. There are 31 countries represented in the governmental programme and a lot of delegations are here,” said Visser.

Navingo’s Coco Kossmann and Jaap Proost also participated in the opening of the day two and shared a few insights about the content programme for today, with the overarching theme remaining the energy transition.

Kossmann gave a short tour of the Navingo Career area, where she showed the Navingo stand, the CV check stand, which will be running today as well, and some of the companies present at the Navingo Career Event.

Make sure to check the Navingo Career Podcast Area and the online platform at https://www.navingocareer.com/podcast/ where new podcasts will drop shortly.

09.15 Day two of Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference and Navingo Career Event 2021

Welcome to the second day of the Offshore Energy Exhibition and Conference, and the Navingo Career Event.

If the first day is any indicator, today will be packed full of lively debates, matchmaking, business and career opportunities, and networking.

17.00 Closing the day one

Anne Visser, Director of Operations at Navingo BV, and Coco Kossmann, Content Creator and Host, in the company of our event moderator Eva Brouwer, have closed the first day of the Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference and the Navingo Career Event 2021.

Day one of the event was filled with face-to-face meetings, interesting talk shows, energy talks, inspiring innovations from the exhibition floor and insights from experts.

Experiencing the event in a hybrid form, both in-person and in digital format, provided more people with the chance to be part of the offshore energy community gathered around energy transition.

This format allowed for participants to show proactivity by joining matchmaking sessions, the content programme, and other organised events that allowed people to connect and share knowledge, either in person or online.

Anne Visser added that OEEC happening side-by-side with the Navingo Career Event allowed Navingo BV to bring more parties together: the companies, the governmental institutions, but also the young generations who were able to express how they see the energy transition and what are their goals and expectations from organisations.

The people across the professional spectrum sharing knowledge and being able to meet in real life was great to see, said Visser.

The day two of OEEC and NCE promises to provide the same energy and enthusiasm and the team behind this live blog looks forward to another action-packed day tomorrow.

You can still register for tomorrow! https://registration.offshore-energy.biz/

In case you missed any of our sessions, you can see them at the On-Demand section of our platform.

16.30 Networking drinks

With the official part of the programme now over, the first day of OEEC is ending on a high note with networking drinks at several stands including at Navingo BV, the organiser of OEEC and NCE.

The networking drinks are sponsored by TrustLube, Scottish Development International, and Jack-Up Barge BV.

16:30 Drinks and Seaweed Tasting at the Marine Energy Pavilion!

Drinks and Seaweed Tasting at the booth no. 1.241 and 1.329 at the Marine Energy Pavillion. Seaweed and cheese is a wicked combo!

15:00 Dutch government workshop: Offshore wind energy in the Netherlands

Organised by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), the workshop on offshore wind energy in the Netherlands provided insights into the current status of offshore wind projects, including the status of the tender for the Hollandse Kust West zone and the most recent updates to it.

The updates in the second draft included a reduction in the maximum number of wind turbines and, most notably, the introduction of the financial bid by the developers to the procedure.

The final bids by the developers are expected to be submitted by the end of April 2022, the workshop attendees have heard.

More details on this will follow on our Offshore Energy and offshore WIND platforms.

The session also included additional info on the IJmuiden Ver offshore wind zone, the capacity of which was increased from 4 GW to 6 GW.

More on this can be found at offshore WIND.

14.50 DecomMissionBlue

At the exhibition floor, many companies are excited to share their innovations and talk about their most recent initiatives.

DecomMissionBlue, Offshore Energy 2021 (Source: Amsterdam IJmuiden Offshore Ports (AYOP))

At the Amsterdam IJmuiden Offshore Ports (AYOP), Sylvia Boer, Director at AYOP shared details about their DecomMissionBlue initiative.

”DecomMissionBlue is a partnership between various parties from the offshore sector that, based on a shared ambition, are committed to an efficient, fast and above all sustainable way of decommissioning and recycling offshore, maritime objects & installations,” said Sylvia Boer.

14:30 A changing industry means changing people – Talk Show

In this talk show, Ivan Pineda, Director of Public Affairs from WindEurope; Sjoerd Hendriks, Director Engineer from Gusto; and Niels van Rhenen, Managing Director at Brunel discussed how people need to keep up with the changes within the industry.

When it comes to the energy transition, people in the industry need to change their skillset but also their mindset. Individuals change only when they have to, or when they want to.

The panel discussed in what way the industry changes and how the transitioning within the human capital can become a success story.

13:30 Global offshore wind market update

”The future is ready for offshore wind,” Heike Winkler from Germany’s WAB during a discussion on the current state of the offshore wind industry in Germany, Poland, and the United States.

Winkler was joined by Brandon Burke from The Business Network for Offshore Wind US, Rémi Gruet from Ocean Energy Europe, and Piotr Czopek from the Polish Wind Energy Association (PWEA).

According to Burke, the Biden administration has really ”put the pedal to the metal” with the goal to develop 30 GW of operational offshore wind capacity by 2030 from the current 42 MW, describing the US offshore wind market is ”bullish”.

Czopek jokingly added that Poland is not as far along the path of offshore wind development as the US is seeing that there are currently zero wind turbines in the Polish Baltic Sea.

However, Poland plans to have 5.9 GW of operational offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 11 GW by 2040, Czopek said. He also added that the Baltic Sea has the potential to be Europe’s second largest offshore wind hub, just behind the North Sea.

The discussion also turned to the role of the governments in establishing the goals and following through on the set targets.

13:00 Marine Energy Session: Joining forces to reach the European targets for offshore renewable energy

In this session, DMEC (Dutch Marine Energy Centre), together with Xavier Guillou from DG Mare, Rebecca Pike from RWE Renewables UK, Michael Baumann from SFK Group, and Alexandre Chavarot from Coalition of Climate Resilient Investment joined the discussion on offshore renewable energy.

To realise a climate neutral energy system by 2050 that is both reliable as well as cost efficient, the EU aims to deploy 40 GW of emerging renewable technologies in our seas and oceans. Specifically for marine energy, the first 100 MW need to be realised by 2025, rapidly scaling up to 1 GW by 2030 to reach commercialisation. To achieve these ambitious targets, developers, supply chain, governments and investors need to connect and work together across sectors and countries.

Britta Schaffmeister, CEO of DMEC kicked-off the Marine Energy Session.

”The governments, supply chain and investors need to work together, we can’t do it alone,” Schaffmeister said.

At the same time, Schaffmeister stressed that there’s a large potential for the marine energy, it is derisked and a lot of public funding is invested already.

The main question remains: What is the most important ingredient needed to make it a winning formula?

Xavier Guillou added that offshore renewables could cover 25 per cent of electricity needs by 2050.

Alexandre Chavarot pointed out that private finance will be easier facilitated if technologies are proven. He added that developers have to do a lot to mobilize private funding.

And here is a gallery showing a bit of the atmosphere at the exhibition floor on the first day of OEEC.

Source: Navingo BV

Great to see so many people at RAI for the first day of OEEC. Loads of enthusiasm and positive energy all around.

Our very own reporter from the floor, Coco Kossmann, is interviewing companies on their latest innovations and developments.

In the first set of interviews, Coco spoke to Mammoet, Barge Master, TWD, and Mascot International A/S. Everyone is happy to meet again in real life and share their thoughts.

11:45 Interview with GROW Offshore Wind, David de Jager, Director, Live Studio

David, de Jager, Director of GROW talks about their joint research programme in offshore wind that initiates research and accelerates innovations.

Like many other speakers today, David agrees that there are many roads to the energy transition and that collaboration is crucial.

“We also need the fossil energy together with alternative solutions. There will be an end to fossil energy. We still need innovations in various roots,” David de Jager said.

11:30 The game changers – Energy Talk

Using worms, mussels, and seaweed to restore and protect coastal ecosystems and communities? That is the idea behind the Coastbusters project spearheaded by DEME Group.

Tomas Sterck, Project Manager R&D of DEME Group, pointed out that avoiding biodiversity loss and collapse is our civilization’s biggest challenge so far.

The companies behind the Coastbusters project are looking into how biogenic reefs can reduce destruction on land and restore ecosystems.

Sterck pointed out that biodiversity is not valued from an economic standpoint but that it is extremely valuable.

Lex Veerhuis, Development Manager New Business at Fugro discussed the future of offshore inspections and more specifically the use of Unmanned Service Vessels (USVs) to operate and maintain offshore platforms, wind farms, or even biogenic reefs.

Veerhuis presented Fugro’s latest USV, the RoboDock, the first unit of which is currently under construction.

According to Veerhius, using unmanned vessels for inspections brings manu advantages such as enhanced safety of operations, faster delivery, and a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 95 per cent compared to the Service Operations Vessels used today.

10:00 An energy mix demands collaboration – Talk Show

Great start to the official programme with the Talk Show: An energy mix demands collaboration.

The session includes Ruben Dijkstra, Director of Offshore Wind; Lars-Eirik Nicolaisen, Deputy-CEO & Senior-Partner of Rystad Energy; Tom Baur, Business Developer at POM West-Vlandereen, Francisco Boshell, Analyst at IRENA; and Sjoerd Meijer, Board Member at KIVI/DEME Group.

The speakers are discussing what is required for collaboration to happen in the energy transition and if the industry is ready to really make it together.

The panel seem to have agreed that the goal of limiting the global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is unattainable and that a more realistic scenario is 2 degrees Celsius as the ramp up of the development of the alternative energy sources is not hapening fast enough.

Speaking of combining different sources of renewable energy, Tom Baur said that the technologies such as floating solar and wave energy are emerging and that the lessons learned from offshore wind will be incorporated in the process.

In terms of specific projects, Ruben Dijkstra mentioned the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm in the Dutch North Sea which will also include a demo project comprising 0.5 MW sloar floating panels.

For a more detailed read on this, make sure to visit our Live On Demand section: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/offshore-energy-2021/oeec-on-demand/

9:30 Event opening

Sander Vergroesen, Managing Director at IRO; Hans Timmers, Chairman at NWEA and Arendo Schreurs, Director at IRO have officially opened the 14^th edition of the Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference.

The speakers stressed the importance of collaborating together in the energy transition. This event is an opportunity to meet other professionals in the field and discuss the accelerating of the energy transition.

Sander Vergroesen: “We are not ready with the alternatives yet. We need to come up with new innovations. We have to stay ahead of the competition and we are good at that.”

Hans Timmers: “We have to do it together. Everybody is worried about the climate change, so we need to accelerate the energy transition together.”

Arendo Schreurs: “We cannot do it alone. We have to cooperate to find answers on the difficult questions.”

We invite everyone to show a maximum proactivity in the networking moments, attend sessions and have an overall great and productive event.

The sun is up in Amsterdam, the stands are ready at RAI and OEEC is already buzzing even though we are still minutes away from the official opening.

We are minutes away from our first Energy Talks, Talk Shows, Live Studio, Showcases, Side Events, 1 on 1 Matchmaking, Round Tables, and much, much more.

If you are not attending OEEC in person, make sure to register and tune in online to what is happening in RAI Amsterdam over the next two days.

https://www.offshore-energy.biz/do-you-have-a-ticket/

Welcome to the Live Blog! Here, we will inform you about the most significant moments from the Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference (OEEC) and the Navingo Career Event. This includes the sessions, the exhibition floor, live studio, and the networking moments.

OEEC creates the perfect opportunity for people working in the offshore energy industry to establish new business relationships and maintain the existing ones.

You can expect plenty of interaction, information, presentations, and innovations, lots of which will be live-streamed.