17 December

Participants at the climate talks in Copenhagen may seem increasingly pessimistic about a positive outcome to the summit, but one big success has been showing top delegates how offshore wind can provide a good solution to climate change by supplying clean energy.

Today it was the turn of the French delegation to visit the Middelgrunden wind farm just outside Copenhagen harbour. Despite strong freezing winds and waves up to 2 metres, Valérie Létard, French Secretary of State responsible for green technologies and climate change, and members of the Assemblée  Nationale including André Chassaigne, Bertrand Pancher, Philippe Tourtelier, Jean-Paul Chanteguet, Eric Diard and Senator Didier Guillaume joined the tour organised by the ‘Windpower Works’ campaign.

The European Wind Energy Association’'s Rémi Gruet gave a presentation to his fellow countrymen about wind energy in Europe and answered lots of questions from the politicians and their advisors. Also taking part were the Danish Wind Industry Association and DONG Energy.

The sea was rough but the members of the Assemblée Nationale and a Senator were not put off, and went on deck outdoors as the boat sailed almost directly underneath one of the 20 turbines. After an hour in a stormy sea the delegation finally disembarked offering hearty thanks for an interesting and informative visit.

This was the most recent of a series of boat trips to visit the offshore wind farm since the COP opened. Other trips have included American Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the Chinese vice Minister of Environmental Protection Li Ganjie.  “