Jul 7 2010
The U.S. is beginning to increasingly depend on ocean wind for producing energy. June 2010 saw the establishment of the "Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium". Governors from North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts as well as Ken Salazar, the Interior Secretary of the U.S. Department, have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for streamlining offshore projects spanning various states and for optimizing expertise throughout state boundaries.
The offshore market in the U.S. is growing at a rapid rate. By the close of 2009, the number of offshore projects off the U.S. coasts stood at 20. By the year 2030, the nation aims to achieve 54 GW offshore capacity. Presently, 83% of offshore turbines are fabricated in Europe. This provides a good opportunity for European manufacturing firms and service providers to export to the U.S.
Meanwhile, the offshore market in Germany has grown considerably in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Being the first commercial wind farm to be under construction in the Baltic Sea, "EnBW Baltic 1" comprises 21 wind turbines spanning around 7 square kilometers. The wind farm, with an overall capacity of 48.3 MW, is likely to produce 185 GWh of electricity per year over a period of 30 years.
During September 1-4, 2010, Invest in Mecklenburg Vorpommern and the GADORE Center USA will organize the Transatlantic Offshore Summit located in Rostock, Germany. During this event, leaders from North American and European offshore associations and companies, in addition to representatives of the U.S. and German federal government agencies will offer in-depth insights into the worldwide offshore market.
Source: http://www.offshore-summit.eu/