Fostering Offshore Wind Supply Chain Development' takes place at the Museu do Oriente, Lisbon, on December 3.
The open event is being hosted by WavEC Offshore Renewables in collaboration with the Embassy of Norway in Portugal, Innovation Norway and Norwegian Offshore Wind. For full programme details and registration, click here.
Keynote speakers include Hanne Brusletto, Norwegian Ambassador to Portugal and Lidia Bulcão, Portugal's Secretary of State for the Sea. Other participants include DGEG, DNV, Source Galileo, Qair, TechnipFMC, Odfjell Ocean Wind, Vestervind Contractors, Global Maritime, ETERMAR, Principle Power, X1Wind, Gazelle, Wergeland Group, Reach Subsea, SINTEF, APDL (Ports of Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo), Port of Aveiro, Port of Setúbal, the Norwegian Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre), plus Portuguese Test Site Companhia de Energia Oceânica. The event will be closed by Portugal's Secretary of State for Energy.
The conference comes just months after the Portuguese Government unveiled an updated version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for 2021-2030, containing ambitious targets for offshore wind energy as part of a broader strategy to accelerate the country's energy transition.
Previously, Portugal set a target of 300 MW for offshore wind capacity by 2025. Recognising the critical role of renewable energy in combating climate change and enhancing energy security, the government set a new goal of 2 GW of offshore wind by 2030.
WavEC CEO Marco Alves said Portugal is now actively engaging international partners to accelerate progress and encourages all parties interested in Iberia's offshore wind expansion to join the "must attend" event.
"We are delighted to be welcoming partners from Norway which is playing a leading role in the burgeoning offshore wind industry, especially floating wind," he said. "With this year's focus on supply chain development, it will be especially instructive to hear the views from our expert panellists as Portugal prepares to kickstart a new era in offshore wind. Supply chains are an essential pillar driving success across entire project lifecycles from design and construction to installation and operation, and decommissioning ensuring efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and scalability in offshore wind development."
Portugal phased out coal-fired power generation in 2021 and currently generates around 60% of its electricity from renewable sources, including hydropower, wind, and solar. The NECP has set a target to increase this share to 80% by 2030, contributing significantly to the European Union's broader climate and energy goals.
The national Offshore Renewable Energy Allocation Plan (PAER) has designated a 10 GW reserve capacity for offshore wind, aligning with the draft National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). Public consultation for new policies began in Q3 2024, with the first site auctions expected in mid-2025. Around 50 companies expressed initial interest in December 2023 auctions.
In Norway, around 98% of electricity is produced from renewables. In addition to wind power, the Scandinavian nation has more than 1,500 hydropower plants, boasting half of Europe's reservoir storage capacity.
Deputy to the Commercial, Innovation, and Tourism Counselor of Norway - Innovation Norway Rodrigo Ballesteros Cruz said: "the great offshore expertise built along the last decades has derived in the adaptation and creation of new technologies applied to the offshore wind industries. Being both maritime nations, Norway and Portugal have the possibility to collaborate in order to lead the further development of sustainable solutions applicable to the offshore wind industry."
Einar Tollaksvik, leader of the Portugal Working Group of Norwegian Offshore Wind said: "Norway has important assets in offshore wind. Decades of offshore experience, a complete supply chain, and world-class technology and digital solutions. Norwegian innovations have paved the way for floating offshore wind. Due to projects at the METCentre and the pioneering floating offshore wind farm Hywind Tampen, our supply chain already has hands-on experience with floating offshore wind."
WavEC is a world-renowned "centre of excellence" focusing on the development of marine renewable energy through R&D, knowledge transfer and innovation. The non-profit organisation heavily supports the EU's Horizon Europe Programme and has delivered more than 70 R&D projects in the marine renewables sector and corresponding support technologies. It has worked in collaboration with more than 350 partners in 32 countries. A co-founder of the OceanACT consortium, WavEC also co-manages the Aguçadoura test site in north Portugal, promoting offshore testing infrastructures to support blue economy technologies.
Click here to register to attend the event - "Portugal and Norway: Fostering Offshore Wind Supply Chain Development."
For more information on WavEC, visit www.wavec.org, email mail@wavec.org, or call: +351 21 8482655
