Europe needs to exploit its vast offshore wind resource in order to achieve the 20% renewable energy target adopted by the Heads of State last March. Up until now, wind energy development has been mainly onshore. At the end of 2006, offshore wind farm installations represented 1.8% of total installed wind power capacity, generating 3.3% of Europe's wind power.

Sigmar Gabriel, German Environment Minister welcomes the decision to hold the event in Berlin stating that “Germany is the global leader in the development of onshore wind energy. Over the coming years we want to continue this development offshore.”

Confirmed speaker, Swedish Minister of Enterprise and Energy, Maud Olofsson, also sees a “big need to develop offshore technology in a way that best leverages its potential as a large-scale, cost-effective energy source.” The Danish Transport and Energy Minister, Jakob Axel Nielsen, “warmly supports the initiative” and is “delighted to give a speech at the opening session of the European Offshore Wind conference in Berlin.”

As an emerging industry, offshore wind energy has distinctive industrial and political development requirements.At EOW2007 the industry vision, the political requirements needed, R&D and technical barriers will be the main topics of discussion.

The EOW2007 Conference programme consists of 22 separate sessions with presentations from over 100 leading experts and decision makers. Additionally, over 100 poster presentations will be showcased. In parallel with the conference sessions, there will be an exhibition with over 60 of the leading companies involved in offshore wind energy. EOW2007 is the ideal place to examine the technologies, hardware and services that keep the offshore business moving.

A press conference will take place on 4 December at 12.00, right after the opening session.