SNS2013 Conference Attracts Over 500 Delegates (UK)

Hopes for new business generated by the offshore windfarm boom and a new North Sea ‘gas rush’ attracted a record-breaking 500-plus delegates to the SNS2013 Conference at Norfolk Showground,Norwich.

The turn-out and extensive media coverage delighted Simon Gray, chief executive of organisers EEEGR (East of England Energy group), who said the region’s energy trades group had become ‘a local base with a global face’.

But the conference, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), also brought a warning to supply chain delegates that they must help bring cost-effectiveness, ingenuity and innovation to the industry to meet government targets and keep down energy prices.

One speaker even urged a Houston-style “true grit’ approach from East Anglian businesses and authorities to grasp the opportunities for local success which were now on the table.

Around 400 people were at the first day of the Sea of Opportunity conference, with 290 at a gala dinner and more than 500 attending the second day, making it the biggest energy event of its kind ever staged in the region.

Speakers from across Europe outlined opportunities created by the resurgence in the natural gas industry in the Southern North Sea and plans for massive offshore windfarms.

John Sewell, operations manager at Perenco UK’s Great Yarmouth base, told of his company’s £62.5m spend with regional suppliers in 2012. “We use local companies whenever we can. It doesn’t mean they must be cheapest but must give value for money,” he said. Perenco needed help to keep gas platforms operating, safe, and fit for purpose. Some with an initial life expectancy of 25 years were now 45 years old and had potential use for another 20-30 years.

John Westwood, chairman of energy research analysts Douglas Westwood, also underlined the increasing demand for gas throughout coming decades and he believed 30 new gas-fired power stations were required for UK supply needs until sufficient renewable energy was available.

“The Government must get its act together and do things quickly,” he added. It was also vital for the industry to find a way of cutting the cost of burgeoning offshore wind energy production.

Bill Cattenach, DECC’s head of pilot secretariat, said the energy sector was clearly the place to be but agreed that innovation and advancing technology were vital to keep down costs – and could often be generated by individuals or small companies. But he warned costs could not be kept down at any price; something the food industry had learned over the past few weeks.

A host of other supply chain opportunities were described by speakers – among them, Forewind general manager Lee Clarke outlined the 72GW Dogger Bank windfarm plans; Paul Girard, from GDF Suez talked about the £1.4bn development of Cygnus gas field; and Halfdan Brustad, from Statoil, brought delegates up to date on the energy giant’s continuing move into renewables as joint developer of the Dudgeon windfarm after completing Sheringham Shoal off the North Norfolk coast.

But it was Douglas Nunn, managing director of locally-based Fraser Offshore, who compared the region’s resources to those of Houston – which had no more oil and gas than that off Norfolk. But the county needed to encourage more companies to establish headquarters in the area to create long-lasting jobs.

It meant a more aggressive and progressive attitude, particularly on infrastructure, and he cited, as one example, the two-lane ‘Acle Straight’ road (with its cattle warning signs) to Great Yarmouth port compared to the eight-lane highway to the port at Galveston.

Perenco was main sponsor for the conference and 80+ exhibitors event.