Quo Vadis 2007 in Luton
With over 40 attendees windpower renewable solutions’ first Wind Energy Conference held at SKF’s Headquarters in Luton proved to be the great success that was anticipated.
Kevin Donovan, Director of windpower renewable solutions, and John Laycock, General Manager Key Accounts and Business Development of SKF, presented "Quo Vadis, Wind Energy" with some interesting facts on wind turbines. Due to researches, the first known windmills date back 8,000 years as they were used alongside the hanging gardens of Babylon providing power to lift water, thus creating a land "flowing with milk and honey". Kevin and John covered the whole spectrum from ancient past to the present and gave some interesting outlook to what the future could be like.
Inge Aasheim and Daniel Doncaster from SKF focused on the subjects of reliability and condition monitoring and received positive responses from the audience.
With further presentations from Steve Higman, Account Manager of B9 Energy, regarding health and safety issues, and from Bruce Valpy, Director of BVG Associates, who provided further details on the wind energy industry, the stage was set for a very active questions and answers session.
"It is unbelievable." says Kevin Donovan. "Our first ever wind energy forum has been received in such a positive way. I feel that the industry has been looking for a partner to host such a type of event for a long time, and I am really pleased with the outcome." Sigrid Lindemeir, Marketing Manager of windpower renewable solutions, commented: "It has been a lot of hard work to organise this conference and to put together the right agenda, but the reactions of the attendees drives us on to create an even better event next time."
It was a privilege to have Maria McCaffery, CEO of the BWEA among the attendees. Maria was delighted with the outcome and said she would welcome the opportunity of attending the Quo Vadis Forum on an annual basis.
"I would like to congratulate Windpower Renewable Solutions and SKF on their joint initiative in staging an excellent event last November. With supply chain issues so critical to the deliverability of both UK and European renewable energy targets, my colleague and I found the programme highly appropriate and the calibre of speakers was superb. We thought we knew all the major players in the wind energy industry but we made several new and valuable contacts in the networking slots." (Maria McCaffery MBE, Chief Executive, The British Wind Energy Association)
"The current shortage of turbines and components, vessels for construction, O & M, and the lack of availability of suitably qualified offshore engineers, together represent a prolific opportunity for UK plc. companies which recognise and understand this by attending events such as the windpower renewable solutions/SKF forum, and then position their products and services accordingly." (Steve Clarke, Development Director for Offshore at Renewables East)
