Workshop addresses engineering for offshore wind power

The first U.S. Marine Technology for Offshore Wind Power Workshop, June 29-30, 2009, in Arlington, Va., will address engineering experiences installing wind turbines offshore, including how lessons and experiences from similar projects in Europe and the offshore oil and gas sector in the United States can be transferred to the emerging offshore wind industry in the United States.

Referring to recent statements by President Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Marine Technology Society (MTS) Executive Director Richard Lawson noted, "This administration has shown great interest in offshore wind energy, but there are many technical problems that need to be addressed in order to make offshore wind possible. This workshop will be the first in the United States to focus exclusively on those technical concerns."

Walter D. Cruickshank, acting director of the Minerals Management Service, and Richard Spinrad, assistant administrator of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will be keynote speakers. On the first day, after keynote addresses in the morning, the afternoon session will focus on case studies, with experts from a number of European countries and the United States discussing their experiences.

Day two of the workshop will have a more technical flavor, with sessions on site selection, structure and foundation design, and power transmission, as well as costs and the difference between installing on land versus offshore. In addition, an exhibit area featuring companies involved in a variety of offshore technologies will be open to all attendees.

The workshop is sponsored by the Minerals Management Service, Fugro, Sea Technology magazine, the Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition, and the MTS Renewable Energy Professional Committee.

For more information, visit www.mtsociety.org/conferences/windworkshop.aspx.