At the 3rd Science Days on 17 and 18 November 2009 in Oldenburg, representatives from industry, science, politics and administration will meet to discuss the status of the development of offshore wind energy use in Germany and Europe. The international conference will also provide an opportunity to discuss future research needs. The focus will be on technical issues relating to support structures and offshore wind turbines as well as the integration of wind power into the grid. In addition, presentations and forums will provide information on the following topics: Process automation, logistics, wind meteorology, technical environmental protection and international cooperation in the offshore sector with neighbouring countries on the North and Baltic Seas.

ForWind, the centre for wind energy research at the universities of Oldenburg, Hanover and Bremen, is organising the 3rd Science Days on Offshore Wind Energy Use on behalf of the BMU.

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) is specifically focussing its research funding on offshore wind energy. Last year alone, the BMU approved over 40 million euros for new wind energy research and development projects. Key strategic projects include the FINO 1, 2 and 3 research platforms and the Research at Alpha Ventus (RAVE) research initiative. "The continuous expansion of wind energy utilisation is crucial for the implementation of the renewable energy expansion targets. The offshore sector in particular plays an important role. We are breaking new ground in many respects. Research therefore has a key role to play," emphasises Joachim Nick-Leptin, Head of Research and Development in the field of renewable energies at the BMU.

"Wind energy is already the most cost-effective renewable energy and has the best growth prospects," says Nick-Leptin, emphasising the objective of the BMU's Offshore Wind Energy Science Days, during which the latest results from the ministry's offshore research projects will be presented.

Further information on the event and registration can be found here