An Asturian delegation will show in ‘WindEurope Offshore Copenhagen 2019’ the capabilities of the region in the field of energy at sea
Asturias will have a very prominent presence in ‘WindEurope Offshore 2019’, the cutting-edge international conference for the offshore wind industry and where our region will be shown as an integral partner for investments in the offshore wind sector.
IDEPA – Invest in Asturias will be present at the conference, which will be held in Copenhagen from 26th. to 28th. November, as a part of the Asturian institutional delegation. The presence will be organized by Asturex and will include the Ports of Gijón and Avilés, the technological centre IDONIAL and a representation of Asturian companies working for the offshore wind sector.
Offshore wind energy is one of the most promising energy sources of the coming decades. Very much conditioned today by the depth of the sea, offshore wind is already a reality in northern Europe and aspires to be competitive in the future in areas with deeper waters, such as Spain or the United States.
Knowing the trends in the offshore industry
‘WindEurope Offshore 2019’ is the ideal framework for our companies to get to know the most relevant trends in the industry and establish contacts with their peers, potential customers and collaborators.
Among the companies attending the Europe’s flagship offshore wind event are Oxiplant, Mecainsa, Proinmec, Hierros Marcelino Franco, Bezzier, Astilleros Gondán and Ingoal.
In addition, the startups Pixelshub, Seerstems, Ingeniacity and SOAR Ingeniería will also be present through the Centro Europeo de Empresas e Innovación del Principado de Asturias (BIC Asturias).
Offshore wind energy in Spain
In addition to being a benchmark in onshore wind energy, Spain has a very powerful naval and civil engineering industry with which to underpin the development of offshore wind technology, according to Juan Virgilio Márquez, general manager of the Spanish Wind Energy Association (AEE).
“The presence of Spanish industry in offshore wind is indisputable, having already positioned itself as one of the main hubs of knowledge and production in the international market. To date, the history of offshore wind in Spain has been mainly a history of industrial commitment and innovation,” says Márquez.
RIS3 and marine renewable energies in Asturias
The Government of Asturias has included the activity of marine renewable energies in its regional Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3) given the very favourable characteristics of the region for its present and future development.
In fact, many Asturian companies are already providing services and products in the supply chain of marine renewable energy, developing both research, development and innovation and manufacturing of components, mainly in the field of offshore energy.
Several of these companies will be present in ‘WindEurope Offshore 2019’.
Infrastructure to support the offshore industry in Asturias
The Asturian Energy Foundation (FAEN) has developed the study of the current and potential capacities of offshore industry in Asturias, which highlights several unique infrastructures with which the region aspires to be at the forefront of this industry.
Among these infrastructures, the FAEN cites the seaports with the capacity to be the base for the operation and maintenance of offshore plants, as well as the industrial ports of Gijón and Avilés, strategically located (at just some forty hours from the North Sea) and with everything necessary to house manufacturing operations, assembly and supply of components and equipment.
Also the marked presence in Asturias of companies belonging to the metal, energy and naval sector weaves an industrial fabric with experience and material and human capacities to contribute solutions to the supply chain of marine energy on a worldwide level.
