Confirmed speakers for the opening session and for the press conference:

• Maud Olofsson, Minister for Enterprise and Energy and Communications, Sweden
• Jakob Axel Nielsen, Minister for Transport and Energy, Denmark
• Michael Müller, Parliamentary State Secretary, German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany
• Mechtild Rothe, MEP, Vice President of the European Parliament
• Alfonso Gonzalez Finat, Director, new and renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency & Innovation, European Commission
• Arthouros Zervos, President, European Wind Energy Association (EWEA)

During the press conference the German Environment Parliamentary State Secretary and the Danish and Swedish Energy Ministers will sign a Joint Declaration on Cooperation in the Field of Research on Offshore Wind Energy Deployment. This document was first signed by Germany and Denmark on 10 September 2005, as an open instrument for enhanced cooperation among countries with relevant offshore wind power resources.

Europe needs to exploit its vast offshore wind resource in order to achieve the binding 20% renewable energy target adopted by the Heads of State in March 2007. Up until now, wind energy development has mainly been onshore. At the end of 2006, offshore wind farms represented 1.8% of the total installed wind power capacity. EWEA’s report estimates that up to 40 GW of offshore wind energy capacity could be operating in the European Union by 2020.

Offshore wind is an emerging industry and a new user of the sea with distinct industrial and political development requirements compared to onshore wind power. Industrial commitment and ambition, research and development efforts, political action at Member State and EU level and development of adequate grid infrastructure are all factors that will determine the level of offshore wind energy installations by 2020. All these topics are thoroughly analysed by EWEA’s report and will be discussed at Offshore Wind 2007.

The Conference programme consists of 22 separate sessions with presentations from over 100 leading experts and decision makers. In parallel with the conference sessions, there will be an exhibition with over 100 of the leading companies involved in offshore wind energy. Offshore Wind 2007 is the ideal place to examine the technologies, hardware and services that keep the offshore business moving.