
Date: 26th May 2022
Venue: 8 Northumberland, London, UK
Times are in GMT
Day 1
Key questions are likely to include:
- What difference will the new oil and gas majors make to offshore wind?
- How to de-risk floating projects for financiers and investors?
- With onshore wind is it more useful to argue for stable prices or learn how to manage uncertainty?
- Are there any important new onshore markets in Europe, or should we focus on unblocking the established markets?
- What are the fundamental drivers behind the power-to-X revolution, can they overcome the major cost and performance challenges behind the hype?
- How does the power-to-X revolution really fit in, alongside improving electricity transmission and storage?
Speakers to include:
Andy Strowbridge (Moderator), Associate Director at BVG Associates
Adam Barber, Managing Director at Tamarindo Group
Christos Kolliatsas, Director, Global Offshore Wind at UL
This discussion focuses on the prospects for wind investors in Europe as they seek to take advantage of green recovery policies while facing challenges with permitting and project profitability.
This discussion focuses on the prospects for wind investors in Europe as they seek to take advantage of green recovery policies while facing challenges with permitting and project profitability.
Key questions are likely to include:
- How can we ensure onshore wind is central to Europe’s green recovery?
- What is the best that wind companies can expect from the COP26 talks?
- Are tortuous permitting processes the biggest problem for wind investors?
- Which are the most exciting markets for investors in the next three years?
- How can investors unlock more value from projects in a squeezed market?
Speakers to include:
- Andy Kinsella, Board of Directors Chair at NBT
- Anne Lapierre, Global Head of Energy at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
- Bob Psaradellis, President & CEO at Renewable Power Capital
- Ruben Devogelaer, Loan Officer, Project Finance and Regulated Operations Western Europe at European Investment Bank
- Julia Rhodes-Journeay, Director - Renewable Power Group at BlackRock
Adam Barber on behalf of Vestas, Managing Director at Tamarindo Group
In this session we will be awarding:
Investor of the Year
Financial Innovation Award
Financial Advisory of the Year
This discussion will look at how institutional investors in the wind industry in Europe will need to change strategy over the next 3-5 years in response to trends we have seen since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
This discussion will look at how institutional investors in the wind industry in Europe will need to change strategy over the next 3-5 years in response to trends we have seen since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
Key questions are likely to include:
- How will a potential influx of oil giants influence project finance strategies?
- Is the composition of investors in wind changing as project risks reduce?
- Will growing appetite for renewables drive a fresh wave of corporate M&A?
Speakers to include:
- Mark Jones, CEO at Ventient Energy
- Richard Heap, (Moderator) Editorial & Content Lead at Tamarindo Group
- Karl Smith, Managing Director at Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, Green Investment Group
In this session we will be awarding:
Lender of the Year
Onshore Deal of the Year
Sponsored by DLA Piper
Key questions are likely to include:
- Investment from outside Europe will be needed to meet the huge risk and capital demands of meeting European governments’ net zero targets. Is there are a particular stage(s) of the lifecycle of a project where such investment is most needed?
- Despite being a world leader in offshore wind investment, what is holding back inward investment so far? Are they technical or regulatory concerns, or overly high yield demands from inward investors?
- Is the inward investment deficit more prevalent in equity or debt?
- What role can inward investment take in the future of offshore wind – in particular floating wind and grid upgrades?
Moderators to include:
- Fredrik Lindblom, Partner at DLA Piper
- Bruce Chen, Of Counsel at DLA Piper
In this session we will be awarding:
Technical Advisory of the Year
Developer of the Year
This discussion focuses on the fast-growing offshore wind market in Europe, where we are seeing high demand from oil giants and rapid change in turbine sizes, project sizes and fees. How will this affect investment.
This discussion focuses on the fast-growing offshore wind market in Europe, where we are seeing high demand from oil giants and rapid change in turbine sizes, project sizes and fees. How will this affect investment.
Key questions are likely to include:
- Which are the most exciting markets for investors in the next three years?
- What does the £6bn financial close at Dogger Bank say about the market?
- Are corporate PPAs now a central part of the European offshore wind sector?Are high ‘option fees’ now a feature of the market?
- How will investors adapt?What will the UK’s CfD auction to tell us about the maturity of floating wind?
- Will an influx of oil firms shake up European offshore in the next three years?
Speakers to include:
- Allan Baker, Global Head of Power Advisory & Project Finance at Société Générale
- Bronwyn Sutton (Moderator), Principal Offshore Wind at Clir Renewables
- Christos Kolliatsas, Director, Global Offshore Wind at UL
- Ed Northam, Head of Green Investment Group, Europe & UK at Green Investment Group
- Morten Sørensen, Head of Financial Solutions Offshore at Vestas
Wind Investment Awards Presentations
Start-up of the Year
Offshore Deal of the Year
This one-to-one interview gives us the opportunity to get into greater depth about offshore wind – literally! We will discuss the commercialisation of floating wind and the evolution of the sector as oil giants get involved. When will we see this market opening up, and will the UK’s Contracts for Difference auction in 2021 show us the health of the sector.
This moderated conversation gives us the opportunity to get into greater depth about offshore wind – literally!
We will discuss the commercialisation of floating wind and the evolution of the sector as oil giants get involved.
When will we see this market opening up, and will the UK’s Contracts for Difference auction in 2021 show us the health of the sector.
Speakers to include:
- Evan Stergoulis (Moderator), Partner at Orrick
- Vincent Fromont, President of Shell-EOLFI & General Manager Floating Offshore Wind at Shell-EOLFI
- Henrik Stiesdal, Stiesdal A/S
Roundtable 1 (30min): The Nordic Boom – will it continue?
Key questions are likely to include:
- The Nordics has seen a tremendous growth in renewables, driven primarily by large scale onshore wind. But what’s next?
- Will investors find ways to invest in merchant markets without PPA-backing?
- Can Nordic renewables drive the development of green hydrogen production and consumption?
- Will onshore wind in the northern Nordic regions still be the dominating technology and geography?
Speakers to include:
- Tobias Nylander (Moderator), Chief Development Officer at Rabbalshede Kraft AB
Roundtable 2 (30min): Offshore Wind and Investment Opportunities in the APAC region
Key questions are likely to include:
- Where are tariff’s heading in APAC and are PPAs based project possible in the near term?
- Where will the equity and debt capital come from for the emerging Asian jurisdictions?
- Can the Asian supply chain be developed to power the offshore wind sector forward?
- Could Asia take the lead in floating offshore wind or offshore wind-to-X projects?
Speakers to include:
- Paul Battelle (Moderator), Director - Infrastructure and Energy Finance at Deutsche Bank
In this session we will be awarding:
Asset Management Award
Technology Innovation Award
Jenny Blackford, Head of Project Finance Team (Energy) at EMEA - Siemens Financial Services
In conversation with Adam Barber, Managing Director at Tamarindo Group
In this session we will be awarding:
Recruiter of the Year
Law Firm of the Year
Sponsored by Greenbyte
Christos Kaidis, Technical Sales Engineer at Greenbyte
In conversation with Jordi Francesch, Head of Asset Management at Glennmont Partners
Investment in digital asset management approaches is no longer a luxury for renewables funds and IPPs. It’s a fundamental part of doing business in the face of evolving market risks. This session will explore strategies for integrating systems to deliver on the business plan and achieve scalable growth:
- Ensuring data quality;
- Data 'deep dives' to improve efficiency and protect margins;
- Tracking and reproducing the PPA environment;
- Managing volume and price risks at the same time;
- Reporting to increasingly savvy investors.
We use our final session of the day to look at the power-to-x technologies that companies in the wind sector need to factor into their investment strategies. By this, we mean technology including batteries, long-duration energy storage, and green hydrogen / ammonia.
We use our final session of the day to look at the power-to-x technologies that companies in the wind sector need to factor into their investment strategies.
By this, we mean technology including batteries, long-duration energy storage, and green hydrogen / ammonia.
- Is storage now a vital part of the strategies of wind companies?
- What impact is this likely to have on the portfolios of wind operators?
- How is the investment case for storage changing as the tech matures?
- Is Europe lagging the US, Australia and Asia-Pacific in the storage race?
- Is Nordic onshore wind key to producing green hydrogen at scale?
Speakers to include:
- Andrew Doyle, Executive Director at MUFG
- Karsten Uhd Plauborg, Partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
- Philippe Kavafyan (Moderator), Former CEO MHI Vestas Offshore Wind
- Sarah Pirie, Head of Commercial at Red Rock Power
- Stine Grenaa Jensen, Senior Director - Green Systems at Energinet
In this session we will be awarding:
Industry Leader of the Year
Rising Star of the Year
- Adam Barber, CEO, Tamarindo Group
- Gill Howard Larsen, Global Director, Renewable Energy, UL
This discussion focuses on the most important issues for onshore wind companies in North America. These include new renewables targets from the US federal government; new hope for the wind production tax credit; and the battle to buy attractive assets as institutions and utilities seek to grow fast. And there’s also the ever-thorny issue of transmission.
Speakers:
- Sandhya Ganapathy, Global Head of Investments and M&A, EDPR
- Michael Pantelogianis, Co-Head of Power & Infrastructure US, EU and UK, Investec
- Susan Nickey, Executive Vice President & Chief Client Officer, Hannon Armstrong
- Yvette Dennis, Senior Vice President – Infrastructure & Project Finance, AIG
This session will look at the growing market for repowering wind farms in the US. What are the emerging best practices for repowering in the US? How can firms find opportunities for repowering that their rivals have missed? We look at this emerging investment opportunity?
Speakers:
- Jeremy Tchou, Director, Wind, North America, UL
- Benjamin Stafford, Sales and Commercial Executive, GE Renewable Energy
- Alex Lowe, Vice President, GE Capital
This session will tackle questions related to problems with the transmission network:
- How are transmission problems hampering investment?
- How can companies tackle problems with transmission?
- What impact is this having on the siting of new projects?
- Will energy storage help with the management of these grid issues?
Speakers:
- Michael Rucker, Founder & CEO, Scout Clean Energy
- Gabriel Alonso, CEO & President, 547 Energy LLC
- Edward Zaelke, Partner McDermott Will & Emery [Moderator]
Ensure asset-wide profitability through digitalisation & scaling up portfolios
ONYX Insight’s research shows that the total installed capacity in 2030 will encompass 902GW solar, 1114GW wind, and 87GW storage. And, with 60% of operators set to manage mixed portfolios of wind and solar assets by 2025 according to ONYX Insight’s data, common software platforms for wind and solar will be needed. In this session hear about the common themes ONYX see in the challenge of digitalization across their global customer base. ONYX will also discuss technology they’ve implemented for renewable supermajors that is integrating data silos to enable predictive analytics, improve operations and reduce lost energy.
Speakers:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind [Interviewer]
- Ashley Crowther, Global VP, ONYX Insight
States of Play: Overcoming state-level challenges to US offshore wind construction
In this discussion, we focus on the state-level challenges that utilities, developers, contractors and other stakeholders need to overcome to successfully build US offshore wind farms and a thriving US offshore wind industry. These include regulatory hurdles, permitting, supply chain, contractual issues, and skills. Potential questions include:
- Which are the most common obstacles to US offshore wind companies getting 'steel in the water'?
- Why permitting in the US Northeast states can be especially challenging?
- Which states are making the most progress on removing those obstacles? Which need to catch up?
- How to manage the inherent Public Private Partnership (PPP) tensions between private sector goals (crisp execution, on time, on budget delivery) and public sector goals (maximize local job production and adherence to procurement public bidding bureaucratic requirements)?
- How big are the differences that you see between states in the appetite of politicians for offshore wind?
- Are bullish LCOEs in US offshore tenders putting pressure on how risks are allocated in contracts? (i.e. if margins are slimmer, that adds pressure in the supply chain)
- Should the progress that Vineyard Wind is making through the permitting process give confidence to the developers and contractors at other offshore wind projects?
Speakers:
- Richard (Rick) Novak, Partner, Pierce Atwood LLP [Co-moderator]
- Katharine (Katie) Kohm, Partner, Pierce Atwood LLP [Co-moderator]
This discussion focuses on the emerging offshore wind sector in the US and elsewhere in the Americas, which has taken a huge leap forward in 2021 because of the approval of Vineyard Wind; ambitious policies at federal and state level; and new areas opening up.
Speakers:
- Jude N. Leblanc, Partner, McGuireWoods LLP [Moderator]
- Joris Veldhoven, Commercial and Finance Director, Atlantic Shores
- Howard Coon, Treasurer VP, Avangrid
- Sam Eaton, SVP Offshore Development US, RWE
In this session, we’ll be answering questions such as:
- What challenges are unique to the US market?
- What lessons can be imported from other floating markets?
- How much experience can companies draw from US supply chain and energy experience?
Speakers:
- Richard Heap, Editor-in-Chief, A Word About Wind [Moderator]
- Alla Weinstein, Founder & CEO, Trident Winds Inc.
- Jonah Margulis, Senior Vice President, Aker Offshore Wind
Tech and Finance Innovations for Maximizing Revenue
This talk will introduce how pairing the latest innovations in AI and IIOT with creative financing solutions can improve revenues 3-5% and offer impressive returns on investment. New technologies that improve AEP without degrading equipment are now commercially available. With the likely extension of the production tax credits in the US, investments in this technology are made even more attractive. Learn how asset managers and investment funds are leveraging these solutions to maximize their fleets’ long term revenue potential.
Speakers:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind [Interviewer]
- Ed Wagner, Chief Revenue Officer, WindESCo
How to add storage to your renewables portfolio
Energy storage is becoming a big business for wind and solar operators and investors. More companies are adding standalone and hybrid storage projects to their portfolios or looking to do so. How can they do this most effectively? And what are the biggest financial and technical risks in diversifying renewables portfolios with storage? In this session, we’ll be joined by a panel of experts to answer questions such as:
- What portfolio diversification opportunities do storage assets offer?
- Which are the most effective ways to add storage to asset portfolios?
- What are the biggest risks you need to manage when financing these projects and how to mitigate them?
- What needs to happen in order to facilitate greater investment support for energy storage projects in the next 12-24 months?
Speakers:
- Nate Hudson, Senior Vice President, Lockton Companies [Moderator]
- Joan Fang, Partner, Ares Management LLC Infrastructure & Power
- Justin DeAngelis, Partner, Sustainable Infrastructure, Denham Capital
- Nicholas Magliocco, Head of Energy Storage & Hydrogen Procurement, ENEL
- Sara Graziano, Partner, SER Capital Partners
Massachusetts’ plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
Speakers:
- Adam Barber, Founder and CEO, Tamarindo Group
- Kathleen A. Theoharides, Secretary, Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Companies announced almost 12GW of corporate PPAs in US wind and solar in 2020, which was a drop from over 14GW agreed in 2019. In this session, we will look whether 2020 was a blip; the importance of US corporations to PPAs globally; and other off-take strategies.
Speakers:
- Peter Hubbard, Principal Consultant, AFRY Management Consulting [Moderator]
- Laura Caspari, VP - Head of Power Marketing & Commercial Strategy, ENGIE
- Sebastian Kurian, Senior Counsel, Google
- Scott Macmurdo, Director of Commercial Renewable Sales, Duke Energy
Reduce project specific risk with AI powered data set and analytics
Using an expansive 200 GW operational performance data set and applying advanced renewables data science Clir's software generates a highly accurate assessment of project specific risk. In this interview, learn how data and ML are advancing the renewable insurance industry by accurately identifying key asset risks including turbine reliability and longevity, operational practices and contractual risk.
Speakers
- Gareth Brown, CEO & Co-founder
- Evan Hobbs, Underwriter, GCube Insurance
Speakers:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind [Interviewer]
- James Brooks, Managing Director, Energy, Infrastructure & Transition Investment Banking, CIBC Capital Markets
We use our final session of the day to look at the power-to-x technologies that companies in wind in North America need to factor into their plans, from batteries to green hydrogen.
Speakers:
- Omar Karar, Vice President of Finance, Apex Clean Energy [Moderator]
- Ravina Advani, Head of Energy Natural Resources & Renewables, BNP Paribas
- Shalini Ramanathan, Director of Origination, Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners
- Jared Johnson, Power Origination, ENGIE Global Energy Management Solutions
- Joan Aymamí, Senior Global Business Development Manager, UL
With various forecasts highlighting that throughout the year supply chain costs expect to remain high, obtaining limited onshore permits continue to be challenging, and offshore tenders are showing increasing volume of interest. However, there is no shortage of finance.
In this chat we’ll look into the external factors affecting the financing of wind currently and in the future. In addition, we’ll review:
- The appetite to invest in the European Wind market
- What does the future of financing European Wind look like? And, in a post subsidising world?
Moderator:
- Philippe Kavafyan, CEO, Aker Offshore Wind
Speakers:
- Caroline Lytton, MD – Head of Power & Renewables, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)
- Fabio Borba, Managing Director, EMEA Execution, GE Capital
In this discussion, we will look at why the prospects for onshore wind in continental Europe are looking brighter than they have for many years. There is a new German government with big ambitions for onshore wind; increased confidence in Spain and France; and, across the Channel, we see onshore wind returning to UK support mechanisms for the first time.
Some areas that will be covered include:
- Are we entering a new boom period for onshore wind in Europe?
- What does the risk appetite look like?
- Predictive vs. actual returns?
- Are countries doing enough to speed up permitting?
Moderator:
- Georg Hoefler, Head of Renewables Transactions, Allianz Capital Partners
Panellists:
- Joseba Ripa Serrano, Commercial Lead Europe, UL
- Scott Mackenzie, Head of Asset Management, SUSI Partners
- Sam Goss, Head of Investments, Octopus Renewables
Interviewer:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind
Interviewee:
- Dr Evgenia Golysheva, VP Strategy & Operations, ONYX Insight
The last couple of years in European offshore wind have been characterised by huge and very competitive auction processes, but what does this mean for the health of offshore wind?
In this session, we consider the results of recent tenders (including ScotWind, Thor and others), and what they say about the health of offshore wind. We’ll review current and planned investments, development pipelines, and skills development. And, we will look at the emerging offshore markets that firms are fighting to be part of; and consider how companies throughout the supply chain can win in such a competitive world.
Moderator:
- Dr Carolyn Heeps, Head of Offshore Development Project Development, Fred. Olsen Seawind
Panellists:
- Gordon MacDougall, Managing Director, UK & Ireland, BayWa r.e.
- Carlos Martin, CEO, BlueFloat Energy
- Ralph Ibendahl, Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets
In this chat we’ll:
- Discuss tendering and what needs to happen to make this a reality going forward
- Review new developments in the market and supply chain changes
Moderator:
- Clément Weber, Managing Director, Green Giraffe
Speakers:
- Allan Baker, Global Head of Power Advisory & Project Finance, Societe Generale
- Adrian De Andres, Director of Market Development, Simply Blue Group
Interviewer:
- Fraser McLaclan, CEO, GCube Underwriting Ltd.
Interviewee:
- Craig McCall, Chief Revenue Officer, Clir Renewables
Interviewer:
- Adam Barber, CEO, Tamarindo Group
Keynote Speaker:
- Simon Goodwin, Head of Marine Delivery, The Crown Estate
With lots of discussion and attention given to green hydrogen as a game changer, will this emerge as an economic reality? Will it live up to its hype? Will this allow heavy industries to reach their decarbonisation goals? What is needed to continue? In this session, we’ll explore the questions above, assess who’s forging ahead and next steps.
Moderator:
- Kevin Lynch, CEO, Source Energie
Speakers:
- Olivia Breese, Senior Vice President, Ørsted P2X, Ørsted
- Dr Mathias Bimberg, Head of Infrastructure, Prime Capital AG
- Matthew Knight, Head of Market and Government Affairs, Siemens
PPAs have been a huge talking point for European wind in the last five years. But while these deals will remain important, there is also increased pressure on wind owners and operators to become more sophisticated in their approach to trading power on the merchant energy markets; and managing the risks that this involves.
We look at merchant risk in the European wind energy sector, and what approaches companies are taking to manage this risk. We will also look at:
- With the merchant market gaining more interest, how will this affect the PPA market? What will be accommodated and what level of PPA support over what term, possible structures and guidelines?
- What new financial/contract models are likely to emerge?
- Will cross border PPAs be likely in the next few years?
Moderator:
- Simon Clement-Davies, Partner, Augusta & Co.
Panellists:
- Bob Psaradellis, CEO & President, Renewable Power Capital
- Jean Vercoutter, Director, Energy Project Finance, MUFG
- Dennis Breugelmans, Project Director – International Markets, SSE
As the last few years have been banner years for the CPPA market, hear from a leading corporate offtaker on how they have added renewables to existing portfolios. You’ll hear a review of the next generation of CPPAs, timelines, and contract agreement terms.
Moderator:
- Natasha Luther-Jones, Partner, International Head of Sustainability and ESG & Global Co-Chair, Energy and Natural Resources Sector, DLA Piper
Panellists:
- Alexandra von Bernstorff, Managing Partner, Luxcara
- Oriol Margó, EMEA Sustainability Transformation Leader, Kimberly-Clark
- Drew Barrett, Head of Energy Markets, Octopus Renewables
Day 2
Key questions are likely to include:
- What difference will the new oil and gas majors make to offshore wind?
- How to de-risk floating projects for financiers and investors?
- With onshore wind is it more useful to argue for stable prices or learn how to manage uncertainty?
- Are there any important new onshore markets in Europe, or should we focus on unblocking the established markets?
- What are the fundamental drivers behind the power-to-X revolution, can they overcome the major cost and performance challenges behind the hype?
- How does the power-to-X revolution really fit in, alongside improving electricity transmission and storage?
Speakers to include:
Andy Strowbridge (Moderator), Associate Director at BVG Associates
Adam Barber, Managing Director at Tamarindo Group
Christos Kolliatsas, Director, Global Offshore Wind at UL
This discussion focuses on the prospects for wind investors in Europe as they seek to take advantage of green recovery policies while facing challenges with permitting and project profitability.
This discussion focuses on the prospects for wind investors in Europe as they seek to take advantage of green recovery policies while facing challenges with permitting and project profitability.
Key questions are likely to include:
- How can we ensure onshore wind is central to Europe’s green recovery?
- What is the best that wind companies can expect from the COP26 talks?
- Are tortuous permitting processes the biggest problem for wind investors?
- Which are the most exciting markets for investors in the next three years?
- How can investors unlock more value from projects in a squeezed market?
Speakers to include:
- Andy Kinsella, Board of Directors Chair at NBT
- Anne Lapierre, Global Head of Energy at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
- Bob Psaradellis, President & CEO at Renewable Power Capital
- Ruben Devogelaer, Loan Officer, Project Finance and Regulated Operations Western Europe at European Investment Bank
- Julia Rhodes-Journeay, Director - Renewable Power Group at BlackRock
Adam Barber on behalf of Vestas, Managing Director at Tamarindo Group
In this session we will be awarding:
Investor of the Year
Financial Innovation Award
Financial Advisory of the Year
This discussion will look at how institutional investors in the wind industry in Europe will need to change strategy over the next 3-5 years in response to trends we have seen since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
This discussion will look at how institutional investors in the wind industry in Europe will need to change strategy over the next 3-5 years in response to trends we have seen since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
Key questions are likely to include:
- How will a potential influx of oil giants influence project finance strategies?
- Is the composition of investors in wind changing as project risks reduce?
- Will growing appetite for renewables drive a fresh wave of corporate M&A?
Speakers to include:
- Mark Jones, CEO at Ventient Energy
- Richard Heap, (Moderator) Editorial & Content Lead at Tamarindo Group
- Karl Smith, Managing Director at Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, Green Investment Group
In this session we will be awarding:
Lender of the Year
Onshore Deal of the Year
Sponsored by DLA Piper
Key questions are likely to include:
- Investment from outside Europe will be needed to meet the huge risk and capital demands of meeting European governments’ net zero targets. Is there are a particular stage(s) of the lifecycle of a project where such investment is most needed?
- Despite being a world leader in offshore wind investment, what is holding back inward investment so far? Are they technical or regulatory concerns, or overly high yield demands from inward investors?
- Is the inward investment deficit more prevalent in equity or debt?
- What role can inward investment take in the future of offshore wind – in particular floating wind and grid upgrades?
Moderators to include:
- Fredrik Lindblom, Partner at DLA Piper
- Bruce Chen, Of Counsel at DLA Piper
In this session we will be awarding:
Technical Advisory of the Year
Developer of the Year
This discussion focuses on the fast-growing offshore wind market in Europe, where we are seeing high demand from oil giants and rapid change in turbine sizes, project sizes and fees. How will this affect investment.
This discussion focuses on the fast-growing offshore wind market in Europe, where we are seeing high demand from oil giants and rapid change in turbine sizes, project sizes and fees. How will this affect investment.
Key questions are likely to include:
- Which are the most exciting markets for investors in the next three years?
- What does the £6bn financial close at Dogger Bank say about the market?
- Are corporate PPAs now a central part of the European offshore wind sector?Are high ‘option fees’ now a feature of the market?
- How will investors adapt?What will the UK’s CfD auction to tell us about the maturity of floating wind?
- Will an influx of oil firms shake up European offshore in the next three years?
Speakers to include:
- Allan Baker, Global Head of Power Advisory & Project Finance at Société Générale
- Bronwyn Sutton (Moderator), Principal Offshore Wind at Clir Renewables
- Christos Kolliatsas, Director, Global Offshore Wind at UL
- Ed Northam, Head of Green Investment Group, Europe & UK at Green Investment Group
- Morten Sørensen, Head of Financial Solutions Offshore at Vestas
Wind Investment Awards Presentations
Start-up of the Year
Offshore Deal of the Year
This one-to-one interview gives us the opportunity to get into greater depth about offshore wind – literally! We will discuss the commercialisation of floating wind and the evolution of the sector as oil giants get involved. When will we see this market opening up, and will the UK’s Contracts for Difference auction in 2021 show us the health of the sector.
This moderated conversation gives us the opportunity to get into greater depth about offshore wind – literally!
We will discuss the commercialisation of floating wind and the evolution of the sector as oil giants get involved.
When will we see this market opening up, and will the UK’s Contracts for Difference auction in 2021 show us the health of the sector.
Speakers to include:
- Evan Stergoulis (Moderator), Partner at Orrick
- Vincent Fromont, President of Shell-EOLFI & General Manager Floating Offshore Wind at Shell-EOLFI
- Henrik Stiesdal, Stiesdal A/S
Roundtable 1 (30min): The Nordic Boom – will it continue?
Key questions are likely to include:
- The Nordics has seen a tremendous growth in renewables, driven primarily by large scale onshore wind. But what’s next?
- Will investors find ways to invest in merchant markets without PPA-backing?
- Can Nordic renewables drive the development of green hydrogen production and consumption?
- Will onshore wind in the northern Nordic regions still be the dominating technology and geography?
Speakers to include:
- Tobias Nylander (Moderator), Chief Development Officer at Rabbalshede Kraft AB
Roundtable 2 (30min): Offshore Wind and Investment Opportunities in the APAC region
Key questions are likely to include:
- Where are tariff’s heading in APAC and are PPAs based project possible in the near term?
- Where will the equity and debt capital come from for the emerging Asian jurisdictions?
- Can the Asian supply chain be developed to power the offshore wind sector forward?
- Could Asia take the lead in floating offshore wind or offshore wind-to-X projects?
Speakers to include:
- Paul Battelle (Moderator), Director - Infrastructure and Energy Finance at Deutsche Bank
In this session we will be awarding:
Asset Management Award
Technology Innovation Award
Jenny Blackford, Head of Project Finance Team (Energy) at EMEA - Siemens Financial Services
In conversation with Adam Barber, Managing Director at Tamarindo Group
In this session we will be awarding:
Recruiter of the Year
Law Firm of the Year
Sponsored by Greenbyte
Christos Kaidis, Technical Sales Engineer at Greenbyte
In conversation with Jordi Francesch, Head of Asset Management at Glennmont Partners
Investment in digital asset management approaches is no longer a luxury for renewables funds and IPPs. It’s a fundamental part of doing business in the face of evolving market risks. This session will explore strategies for integrating systems to deliver on the business plan and achieve scalable growth:
- Ensuring data quality;
- Data 'deep dives' to improve efficiency and protect margins;
- Tracking and reproducing the PPA environment;
- Managing volume and price risks at the same time;
- Reporting to increasingly savvy investors.
We use our final session of the day to look at the power-to-x technologies that companies in the wind sector need to factor into their investment strategies. By this, we mean technology including batteries, long-duration energy storage, and green hydrogen / ammonia.
We use our final session of the day to look at the power-to-x technologies that companies in the wind sector need to factor into their investment strategies.
By this, we mean technology including batteries, long-duration energy storage, and green hydrogen / ammonia.
- Is storage now a vital part of the strategies of wind companies?
- What impact is this likely to have on the portfolios of wind operators?
- How is the investment case for storage changing as the tech matures?
- Is Europe lagging the US, Australia and Asia-Pacific in the storage race?
- Is Nordic onshore wind key to producing green hydrogen at scale?
Speakers to include:
- Andrew Doyle, Executive Director at MUFG
- Karsten Uhd Plauborg, Partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
- Philippe Kavafyan (Moderator), Former CEO MHI Vestas Offshore Wind
- Sarah Pirie, Head of Commercial at Red Rock Power
- Stine Grenaa Jensen, Senior Director - Green Systems at Energinet
In this session we will be awarding:
Industry Leader of the Year
Rising Star of the Year
- Adam Barber, CEO, Tamarindo Group
- Gill Howard Larsen, Global Director, Renewable Energy, UL
This discussion focuses on the most important issues for onshore wind companies in North America. These include new renewables targets from the US federal government; new hope for the wind production tax credit; and the battle to buy attractive assets as institutions and utilities seek to grow fast. And there’s also the ever-thorny issue of transmission.
Speakers:
- Sandhya Ganapathy, Global Head of Investments and M&A, EDPR
- Michael Pantelogianis, Co-Head of Power & Infrastructure US, EU and UK, Investec
- Susan Nickey, Executive Vice President & Chief Client Officer, Hannon Armstrong
- Yvette Dennis, Senior Vice President – Infrastructure & Project Finance, AIG
This session will look at the growing market for repowering wind farms in the US. What are the emerging best practices for repowering in the US? How can firms find opportunities for repowering that their rivals have missed? We look at this emerging investment opportunity?
Speakers:
- Jeremy Tchou, Director, Wind, North America, UL
- Benjamin Stafford, Sales and Commercial Executive, GE Renewable Energy
- Alex Lowe, Vice President, GE Capital
This session will tackle questions related to problems with the transmission network:
- How are transmission problems hampering investment?
- How can companies tackle problems with transmission?
- What impact is this having on the siting of new projects?
- Will energy storage help with the management of these grid issues?
Speakers:
- Michael Rucker, Founder & CEO, Scout Clean Energy
- Gabriel Alonso, CEO & President, 547 Energy LLC
- Edward Zaelke, Partner McDermott Will & Emery [Moderator]
Ensure asset-wide profitability through digitalisation & scaling up portfolios
ONYX Insight’s research shows that the total installed capacity in 2030 will encompass 902GW solar, 1114GW wind, and 87GW storage. And, with 60% of operators set to manage mixed portfolios of wind and solar assets by 2025 according to ONYX Insight’s data, common software platforms for wind and solar will be needed. In this session hear about the common themes ONYX see in the challenge of digitalization across their global customer base. ONYX will also discuss technology they’ve implemented for renewable supermajors that is integrating data silos to enable predictive analytics, improve operations and reduce lost energy.
Speakers:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind [Interviewer]
- Ashley Crowther, Global VP, ONYX Insight
States of Play: Overcoming state-level challenges to US offshore wind construction
In this discussion, we focus on the state-level challenges that utilities, developers, contractors and other stakeholders need to overcome to successfully build US offshore wind farms and a thriving US offshore wind industry. These include regulatory hurdles, permitting, supply chain, contractual issues, and skills. Potential questions include:
- Which are the most common obstacles to US offshore wind companies getting 'steel in the water'?
- Why permitting in the US Northeast states can be especially challenging?
- Which states are making the most progress on removing those obstacles? Which need to catch up?
- How to manage the inherent Public Private Partnership (PPP) tensions between private sector goals (crisp execution, on time, on budget delivery) and public sector goals (maximize local job production and adherence to procurement public bidding bureaucratic requirements)?
- How big are the differences that you see between states in the appetite of politicians for offshore wind?
- Are bullish LCOEs in US offshore tenders putting pressure on how risks are allocated in contracts? (i.e. if margins are slimmer, that adds pressure in the supply chain)
- Should the progress that Vineyard Wind is making through the permitting process give confidence to the developers and contractors at other offshore wind projects?
Speakers:
- Richard (Rick) Novak, Partner, Pierce Atwood LLP [Co-moderator]
- Katharine (Katie) Kohm, Partner, Pierce Atwood LLP [Co-moderator]
This discussion focuses on the emerging offshore wind sector in the US and elsewhere in the Americas, which has taken a huge leap forward in 2021 because of the approval of Vineyard Wind; ambitious policies at federal and state level; and new areas opening up.
Speakers:
- Jude N. Leblanc, Partner, McGuireWoods LLP [Moderator]
- Joris Veldhoven, Commercial and Finance Director, Atlantic Shores
- Howard Coon, Treasurer VP, Avangrid
- Sam Eaton, SVP Offshore Development US, RWE
In this session, we’ll be answering questions such as:
- What challenges are unique to the US market?
- What lessons can be imported from other floating markets?
- How much experience can companies draw from US supply chain and energy experience?
Speakers:
- Richard Heap, Editor-in-Chief, A Word About Wind [Moderator]
- Alla Weinstein, Founder & CEO, Trident Winds Inc.
- Jonah Margulis, Senior Vice President, Aker Offshore Wind
Tech and Finance Innovations for Maximizing Revenue
This talk will introduce how pairing the latest innovations in AI and IIOT with creative financing solutions can improve revenues 3-5% and offer impressive returns on investment. New technologies that improve AEP without degrading equipment are now commercially available. With the likely extension of the production tax credits in the US, investments in this technology are made even more attractive. Learn how asset managers and investment funds are leveraging these solutions to maximize their fleets’ long term revenue potential.
Speakers:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind [Interviewer]
- Ed Wagner, Chief Revenue Officer, WindESCo
How to add storage to your renewables portfolio
Energy storage is becoming a big business for wind and solar operators and investors. More companies are adding standalone and hybrid storage projects to their portfolios or looking to do so. How can they do this most effectively? And what are the biggest financial and technical risks in diversifying renewables portfolios with storage? In this session, we’ll be joined by a panel of experts to answer questions such as:
- What portfolio diversification opportunities do storage assets offer?
- Which are the most effective ways to add storage to asset portfolios?
- What are the biggest risks you need to manage when financing these projects and how to mitigate them?
- What needs to happen in order to facilitate greater investment support for energy storage projects in the next 12-24 months?
Speakers:
- Nate Hudson, Senior Vice President, Lockton Companies [Moderator]
- Joan Fang, Partner, Ares Management LLC Infrastructure & Power
- Justin DeAngelis, Partner, Sustainable Infrastructure, Denham Capital
- Nicholas Magliocco, Head of Energy Storage & Hydrogen Procurement, ENEL
- Sara Graziano, Partner, SER Capital Partners
Massachusetts’ plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
Speakers:
- Adam Barber, Founder and CEO, Tamarindo Group
- Kathleen A. Theoharides, Secretary, Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Companies announced almost 12GW of corporate PPAs in US wind and solar in 2020, which was a drop from over 14GW agreed in 2019. In this session, we will look whether 2020 was a blip; the importance of US corporations to PPAs globally; and other off-take strategies.
Speakers:
- Peter Hubbard, Principal Consultant, AFRY Management Consulting [Moderator]
- Laura Caspari, VP - Head of Power Marketing & Commercial Strategy, ENGIE
- Sebastian Kurian, Senior Counsel, Google
- Scott Macmurdo, Director of Commercial Renewable Sales, Duke Energy
Reduce project specific risk with AI powered data set and analytics
Using an expansive 200 GW operational performance data set and applying advanced renewables data science Clir's software generates a highly accurate assessment of project specific risk. In this interview, learn how data and ML are advancing the renewable insurance industry by accurately identifying key asset risks including turbine reliability and longevity, operational practices and contractual risk.
Speakers
- Gareth Brown, CEO & Co-founder
- Evan Hobbs, Underwriter, GCube Insurance
Speakers:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind [Interviewer]
- James Brooks, Managing Director, Energy, Infrastructure & Transition Investment Banking, CIBC Capital Markets
We use our final session of the day to look at the power-to-x technologies that companies in wind in North America need to factor into their plans, from batteries to green hydrogen.
Speakers:
- Omar Karar, Vice President of Finance, Apex Clean Energy [Moderator]
- Ravina Advani, Head of Energy Natural Resources & Renewables, BNP Paribas
- Shalini Ramanathan, Director of Origination, Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners
- Jared Johnson, Power Origination, ENGIE Global Energy Management Solutions
- Joan Aymamí, Senior Global Business Development Manager, UL
With various forecasts highlighting that throughout the year supply chain costs expect to remain high, obtaining limited onshore permits continue to be challenging, and offshore tenders are showing increasing volume of interest. However, there is no shortage of finance.
In this chat we’ll look into the external factors affecting the financing of wind currently and in the future. In addition, we’ll review:
- The appetite to invest in the European Wind market
- What does the future of financing European Wind look like? And, in a post subsidising world?
Moderator:
- Philippe Kavafyan, CEO, Aker Offshore Wind
Speakers:
- Caroline Lytton, MD – Head of Power & Renewables, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)
- Fabio Borba, Managing Director, EMEA Execution, GE Capital
In this discussion, we will look at why the prospects for onshore wind in continental Europe are looking brighter than they have for many years. There is a new German government with big ambitions for onshore wind; increased confidence in Spain and France; and, across the Channel, we see onshore wind returning to UK support mechanisms for the first time.
Some areas that will be covered include:
- Are we entering a new boom period for onshore wind in Europe?
- What does the risk appetite look like?
- Predictive vs. actual returns?
- Are countries doing enough to speed up permitting?
Moderator:
- Georg Hoefler, Head of Renewables Transactions, Allianz Capital Partners
Panellists:
- Joseba Ripa Serrano, Commercial Lead Europe, UL
- Scott Mackenzie, Head of Asset Management, SUSI Partners
- Sam Goss, Head of Investments, Octopus Renewables
Interviewer:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind
Interviewee:
- Dr Evgenia Golysheva, VP Strategy & Operations, ONYX Insight
The last couple of years in European offshore wind have been characterised by huge and very competitive auction processes, but what does this mean for the health of offshore wind?
In this session, we consider the results of recent tenders (including ScotWind, Thor and others), and what they say about the health of offshore wind. We’ll review current and planned investments, development pipelines, and skills development. And, we will look at the emerging offshore markets that firms are fighting to be part of; and consider how companies throughout the supply chain can win in such a competitive world.
Moderator:
- Dr Carolyn Heeps, Head of Offshore Development Project Development, Fred. Olsen Seawind
Panellists:
- Gordon MacDougall, Managing Director, UK & Ireland, BayWa r.e.
- Carlos Martin, CEO, BlueFloat Energy
- Ralph Ibendahl, Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets
In this chat we’ll:
- Discuss tendering and what needs to happen to make this a reality going forward
- Review new developments in the market and supply chain changes
Moderator:
- Clément Weber, Managing Director, Green Giraffe
Speakers:
- Allan Baker, Global Head of Power Advisory & Project Finance, Societe Generale
- Adrian De Andres, Director of Market Development, Simply Blue Group
Interviewer:
- Fraser McLaclan, CEO, GCube Underwriting Ltd.
Interviewee:
- Craig McCall, Chief Revenue Officer, Clir Renewables
Interviewer:
- Adam Barber, CEO, Tamarindo Group
Keynote Speaker:
- Simon Goodwin, Head of Marine Delivery, The Crown Estate
With lots of discussion and attention given to green hydrogen as a game changer, will this emerge as an economic reality? Will it live up to its hype? Will this allow heavy industries to reach their decarbonisation goals? What is needed to continue? In this session, we’ll explore the questions above, assess who’s forging ahead and next steps.
Moderator:
- Kevin Lynch, CEO, Source Energie
Speakers:
- Olivia Breese, Senior Vice President, Ørsted P2X, Ørsted
- Dr Mathias Bimberg, Head of Infrastructure, Prime Capital AG
- Matthew Knight, Head of Market and Government Affairs, Siemens
PPAs have been a huge talking point for European wind in the last five years. But while these deals will remain important, there is also increased pressure on wind owners and operators to become more sophisticated in their approach to trading power on the merchant energy markets; and managing the risks that this involves.
We look at merchant risk in the European wind energy sector, and what approaches companies are taking to manage this risk. We will also look at:
- With the merchant market gaining more interest, how will this affect the PPA market? What will be accommodated and what level of PPA support over what term, possible structures and guidelines?
- What new financial/contract models are likely to emerge?
- Will cross border PPAs be likely in the next few years?
Moderator:
- Simon Clement-Davies, Partner, Augusta & Co.
Panellists:
- Bob Psaradellis, CEO & President, Renewable Power Capital
- Jean Vercoutter, Director, Energy Project Finance, MUFG
- Dennis Breugelmans, Project Director – International Markets, SSE
As the last few years have been banner years for the CPPA market, hear from a leading corporate offtaker on how they have added renewables to existing portfolios. You’ll hear a review of the next generation of CPPAs, timelines, and contract agreement terms.
Moderator:
- Natasha Luther-Jones, Partner, International Head of Sustainability and ESG & Global Co-Chair, Energy and Natural Resources Sector, DLA Piper
Panellists:
- Alexandra von Bernstorff, Managing Partner, Luxcara
- Oriol Margó, EMEA Sustainability Transformation Leader, Kimberly-Clark
- Drew Barrett, Head of Energy Markets, Octopus Renewables
Day 2
Key questions are likely to include:
- What difference will the new oil and gas majors make to offshore wind?
- How to de-risk floating projects for financiers and investors?
- With onshore wind is it more useful to argue for stable prices or learn how to manage uncertainty?
- Are there any important new onshore markets in Europe, or should we focus on unblocking the established markets?
- What are the fundamental drivers behind the power-to-X revolution, can they overcome the major cost and performance challenges behind the hype?
- How does the power-to-X revolution really fit in, alongside improving electricity transmission and storage?
Speakers to include:
Andy Strowbridge (Moderator), Associate Director at BVG Associates
Adam Barber, Managing Director at Tamarindo Group
Christos Kolliatsas, Director, Global Offshore Wind at UL
This discussion focuses on the prospects for wind investors in Europe as they seek to take advantage of green recovery policies while facing challenges with permitting and project profitability.
This discussion focuses on the prospects for wind investors in Europe as they seek to take advantage of green recovery policies while facing challenges with permitting and project profitability.
Key questions are likely to include:
- How can we ensure onshore wind is central to Europe’s green recovery?
- What is the best that wind companies can expect from the COP26 talks?
- Are tortuous permitting processes the biggest problem for wind investors?
- Which are the most exciting markets for investors in the next three years?
- How can investors unlock more value from projects in a squeezed market?
Speakers to include:
- Andy Kinsella, Board of Directors Chair at NBT
- Anne Lapierre, Global Head of Energy at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
- Bob Psaradellis, President & CEO at Renewable Power Capital
- Ruben Devogelaer, Loan Officer, Project Finance and Regulated Operations Western Europe at European Investment Bank
- Julia Rhodes-Journeay, Director - Renewable Power Group at BlackRock
Adam Barber on behalf of Vestas, Managing Director at Tamarindo Group
In this session we will be awarding:
Investor of the Year
Financial Innovation Award
Financial Advisory of the Year
This discussion will look at how institutional investors in the wind industry in Europe will need to change strategy over the next 3-5 years in response to trends we have seen since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
This discussion will look at how institutional investors in the wind industry in Europe will need to change strategy over the next 3-5 years in response to trends we have seen since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
Key questions are likely to include:
- How will a potential influx of oil giants influence project finance strategies?
- Is the composition of investors in wind changing as project risks reduce?
- Will growing appetite for renewables drive a fresh wave of corporate M&A?
Speakers to include:
- Mark Jones, CEO at Ventient Energy
- Richard Heap, (Moderator) Editorial & Content Lead at Tamarindo Group
- Karl Smith, Managing Director at Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, Green Investment Group
In this session we will be awarding:
Lender of the Year
Onshore Deal of the Year
Sponsored by DLA Piper
Key questions are likely to include:
- Investment from outside Europe will be needed to meet the huge risk and capital demands of meeting European governments’ net zero targets. Is there are a particular stage(s) of the lifecycle of a project where such investment is most needed?
- Despite being a world leader in offshore wind investment, what is holding back inward investment so far? Are they technical or regulatory concerns, or overly high yield demands from inward investors?
- Is the inward investment deficit more prevalent in equity or debt?
- What role can inward investment take in the future of offshore wind – in particular floating wind and grid upgrades?
Moderators to include:
- Fredrik Lindblom, Partner at DLA Piper
- Bruce Chen, Of Counsel at DLA Piper
In this session we will be awarding:
Technical Advisory of the Year
Developer of the Year
This discussion focuses on the fast-growing offshore wind market in Europe, where we are seeing high demand from oil giants and rapid change in turbine sizes, project sizes and fees. How will this affect investment.
This discussion focuses on the fast-growing offshore wind market in Europe, where we are seeing high demand from oil giants and rapid change in turbine sizes, project sizes and fees. How will this affect investment.
Key questions are likely to include:
- Which are the most exciting markets for investors in the next three years?
- What does the £6bn financial close at Dogger Bank say about the market?
- Are corporate PPAs now a central part of the European offshore wind sector?Are high ‘option fees’ now a feature of the market?
- How will investors adapt?What will the UK’s CfD auction to tell us about the maturity of floating wind?
- Will an influx of oil firms shake up European offshore in the next three years?
Speakers to include:
- Allan Baker, Global Head of Power Advisory & Project Finance at Société Générale
- Bronwyn Sutton (Moderator), Principal Offshore Wind at Clir Renewables
- Christos Kolliatsas, Director, Global Offshore Wind at UL
- Ed Northam, Head of Green Investment Group, Europe & UK at Green Investment Group
- Morten Sørensen, Head of Financial Solutions Offshore at Vestas
Wind Investment Awards Presentations
Start-up of the Year
Offshore Deal of the Year
This one-to-one interview gives us the opportunity to get into greater depth about offshore wind – literally! We will discuss the commercialisation of floating wind and the evolution of the sector as oil giants get involved. When will we see this market opening up, and will the UK’s Contracts for Difference auction in 2021 show us the health of the sector.
This moderated conversation gives us the opportunity to get into greater depth about offshore wind – literally!
We will discuss the commercialisation of floating wind and the evolution of the sector as oil giants get involved.
When will we see this market opening up, and will the UK’s Contracts for Difference auction in 2021 show us the health of the sector.
Speakers to include:
- Evan Stergoulis (Moderator), Partner at Orrick
- Vincent Fromont, President of Shell-EOLFI & General Manager Floating Offshore Wind at Shell-EOLFI
- Henrik Stiesdal, Stiesdal A/S
Roundtable 1 (30min): The Nordic Boom – will it continue?
Key questions are likely to include:
- The Nordics has seen a tremendous growth in renewables, driven primarily by large scale onshore wind. But what’s next?
- Will investors find ways to invest in merchant markets without PPA-backing?
- Can Nordic renewables drive the development of green hydrogen production and consumption?
- Will onshore wind in the northern Nordic regions still be the dominating technology and geography?
Speakers to include:
- Tobias Nylander (Moderator), Chief Development Officer at Rabbalshede Kraft AB
Roundtable 2 (30min): Offshore Wind and Investment Opportunities in the APAC region
Key questions are likely to include:
- Where are tariff’s heading in APAC and are PPAs based project possible in the near term?
- Where will the equity and debt capital come from for the emerging Asian jurisdictions?
- Can the Asian supply chain be developed to power the offshore wind sector forward?
- Could Asia take the lead in floating offshore wind or offshore wind-to-X projects?
Speakers to include:
- Paul Battelle (Moderator), Director - Infrastructure and Energy Finance at Deutsche Bank
In this session we will be awarding:
Asset Management Award
Technology Innovation Award
Jenny Blackford, Head of Project Finance Team (Energy) at EMEA - Siemens Financial Services
In conversation with Adam Barber, Managing Director at Tamarindo Group
In this session we will be awarding:
Recruiter of the Year
Law Firm of the Year
Sponsored by Greenbyte
Christos Kaidis, Technical Sales Engineer at Greenbyte
In conversation with Jordi Francesch, Head of Asset Management at Glennmont Partners
Investment in digital asset management approaches is no longer a luxury for renewables funds and IPPs. It’s a fundamental part of doing business in the face of evolving market risks. This session will explore strategies for integrating systems to deliver on the business plan and achieve scalable growth:
- Ensuring data quality;
- Data 'deep dives' to improve efficiency and protect margins;
- Tracking and reproducing the PPA environment;
- Managing volume and price risks at the same time;
- Reporting to increasingly savvy investors.
We use our final session of the day to look at the power-to-x technologies that companies in the wind sector need to factor into their investment strategies. By this, we mean technology including batteries, long-duration energy storage, and green hydrogen / ammonia.
We use our final session of the day to look at the power-to-x technologies that companies in the wind sector need to factor into their investment strategies.
By this, we mean technology including batteries, long-duration energy storage, and green hydrogen / ammonia.
- Is storage now a vital part of the strategies of wind companies?
- What impact is this likely to have on the portfolios of wind operators?
- How is the investment case for storage changing as the tech matures?
- Is Europe lagging the US, Australia and Asia-Pacific in the storage race?
- Is Nordic onshore wind key to producing green hydrogen at scale?
Speakers to include:
- Andrew Doyle, Executive Director at MUFG
- Karsten Uhd Plauborg, Partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
- Philippe Kavafyan (Moderator), Former CEO MHI Vestas Offshore Wind
- Sarah Pirie, Head of Commercial at Red Rock Power
- Stine Grenaa Jensen, Senior Director - Green Systems at Energinet
In this session we will be awarding:
Industry Leader of the Year
Rising Star of the Year
- Adam Barber, CEO, Tamarindo Group
- Gill Howard Larsen, Global Director, Renewable Energy, UL
This discussion focuses on the most important issues for onshore wind companies in North America. These include new renewables targets from the US federal government; new hope for the wind production tax credit; and the battle to buy attractive assets as institutions and utilities seek to grow fast. And there’s also the ever-thorny issue of transmission.
Speakers:
- Sandhya Ganapathy, Global Head of Investments and M&A, EDPR
- Michael Pantelogianis, Co-Head of Power & Infrastructure US, EU and UK, Investec
- Susan Nickey, Executive Vice President & Chief Client Officer, Hannon Armstrong
- Yvette Dennis, Senior Vice President – Infrastructure & Project Finance, AIG
This session will look at the growing market for repowering wind farms in the US. What are the emerging best practices for repowering in the US? How can firms find opportunities for repowering that their rivals have missed? We look at this emerging investment opportunity?
Speakers:
- Jeremy Tchou, Director, Wind, North America, UL
- Benjamin Stafford, Sales and Commercial Executive, GE Renewable Energy
- Alex Lowe, Vice President, GE Capital
This session will tackle questions related to problems with the transmission network:
- How are transmission problems hampering investment?
- How can companies tackle problems with transmission?
- What impact is this having on the siting of new projects?
- Will energy storage help with the management of these grid issues?
Speakers:
- Michael Rucker, Founder & CEO, Scout Clean Energy
- Gabriel Alonso, CEO & President, 547 Energy LLC
- Edward Zaelke, Partner McDermott Will & Emery [Moderator]
Ensure asset-wide profitability through digitalisation & scaling up portfolios
ONYX Insight’s research shows that the total installed capacity in 2030 will encompass 902GW solar, 1114GW wind, and 87GW storage. And, with 60% of operators set to manage mixed portfolios of wind and solar assets by 2025 according to ONYX Insight’s data, common software platforms for wind and solar will be needed. In this session hear about the common themes ONYX see in the challenge of digitalization across their global customer base. ONYX will also discuss technology they’ve implemented for renewable supermajors that is integrating data silos to enable predictive analytics, improve operations and reduce lost energy.
Speakers:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind [Interviewer]
- Ashley Crowther, Global VP, ONYX Insight
States of Play: Overcoming state-level challenges to US offshore wind construction
In this discussion, we focus on the state-level challenges that utilities, developers, contractors and other stakeholders need to overcome to successfully build US offshore wind farms and a thriving US offshore wind industry. These include regulatory hurdles, permitting, supply chain, contractual issues, and skills. Potential questions include:
- Which are the most common obstacles to US offshore wind companies getting 'steel in the water'?
- Why permitting in the US Northeast states can be especially challenging?
- Which states are making the most progress on removing those obstacles? Which need to catch up?
- How to manage the inherent Public Private Partnership (PPP) tensions between private sector goals (crisp execution, on time, on budget delivery) and public sector goals (maximize local job production and adherence to procurement public bidding bureaucratic requirements)?
- How big are the differences that you see between states in the appetite of politicians for offshore wind?
- Are bullish LCOEs in US offshore tenders putting pressure on how risks are allocated in contracts? (i.e. if margins are slimmer, that adds pressure in the supply chain)
- Should the progress that Vineyard Wind is making through the permitting process give confidence to the developers and contractors at other offshore wind projects?
Speakers:
- Richard (Rick) Novak, Partner, Pierce Atwood LLP [Co-moderator]
- Katharine (Katie) Kohm, Partner, Pierce Atwood LLP [Co-moderator]
This discussion focuses on the emerging offshore wind sector in the US and elsewhere in the Americas, which has taken a huge leap forward in 2021 because of the approval of Vineyard Wind; ambitious policies at federal and state level; and new areas opening up.
Speakers:
- Jude N. Leblanc, Partner, McGuireWoods LLP [Moderator]
- Joris Veldhoven, Commercial and Finance Director, Atlantic Shores
- Howard Coon, Treasurer VP, Avangrid
- Sam Eaton, SVP Offshore Development US, RWE
In this session, we’ll be answering questions such as:
- What challenges are unique to the US market?
- What lessons can be imported from other floating markets?
- How much experience can companies draw from US supply chain and energy experience?
Speakers:
- Richard Heap, Editor-in-Chief, A Word About Wind [Moderator]
- Alla Weinstein, Founder & CEO, Trident Winds Inc.
- Jonah Margulis, Senior Vice President, Aker Offshore Wind
Tech and Finance Innovations for Maximizing Revenue
This talk will introduce how pairing the latest innovations in AI and IIOT with creative financing solutions can improve revenues 3-5% and offer impressive returns on investment. New technologies that improve AEP without degrading equipment are now commercially available. With the likely extension of the production tax credits in the US, investments in this technology are made even more attractive. Learn how asset managers and investment funds are leveraging these solutions to maximize their fleets’ long term revenue potential.
Speakers:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind [Interviewer]
- Ed Wagner, Chief Revenue Officer, WindESCo
How to add storage to your renewables portfolio
Energy storage is becoming a big business for wind and solar operators and investors. More companies are adding standalone and hybrid storage projects to their portfolios or looking to do so. How can they do this most effectively? And what are the biggest financial and technical risks in diversifying renewables portfolios with storage? In this session, we’ll be joined by a panel of experts to answer questions such as:
- What portfolio diversification opportunities do storage assets offer?
- Which are the most effective ways to add storage to asset portfolios?
- What are the biggest risks you need to manage when financing these projects and how to mitigate them?
- What needs to happen in order to facilitate greater investment support for energy storage projects in the next 12-24 months?
Speakers:
- Nate Hudson, Senior Vice President, Lockton Companies [Moderator]
- Joan Fang, Partner, Ares Management LLC Infrastructure & Power
- Justin DeAngelis, Partner, Sustainable Infrastructure, Denham Capital
- Nicholas Magliocco, Head of Energy Storage & Hydrogen Procurement, ENEL
- Sara Graziano, Partner, SER Capital Partners
Massachusetts’ plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
Speakers:
- Adam Barber, Founder and CEO, Tamarindo Group
- Kathleen A. Theoharides, Secretary, Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Companies announced almost 12GW of corporate PPAs in US wind and solar in 2020, which was a drop from over 14GW agreed in 2019. In this session, we will look whether 2020 was a blip; the importance of US corporations to PPAs globally; and other off-take strategies.
Speakers:
- Peter Hubbard, Principal Consultant, AFRY Management Consulting [Moderator]
- Laura Caspari, VP - Head of Power Marketing & Commercial Strategy, ENGIE
- Sebastian Kurian, Senior Counsel, Google
- Scott Macmurdo, Director of Commercial Renewable Sales, Duke Energy
Reduce project specific risk with AI powered data set and analytics
Using an expansive 200 GW operational performance data set and applying advanced renewables data science Clir's software generates a highly accurate assessment of project specific risk. In this interview, learn how data and ML are advancing the renewable insurance industry by accurately identifying key asset risks including turbine reliability and longevity, operational practices and contractual risk.
Speakers
- Gareth Brown, CEO & Co-founder
- Evan Hobbs, Underwriter, GCube Insurance
Speakers:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind [Interviewer]
- James Brooks, Managing Director, Energy, Infrastructure & Transition Investment Banking, CIBC Capital Markets
We use our final session of the day to look at the power-to-x technologies that companies in wind in North America need to factor into their plans, from batteries to green hydrogen.
Speakers:
- Omar Karar, Vice President of Finance, Apex Clean Energy [Moderator]
- Ravina Advani, Head of Energy Natural Resources & Renewables, BNP Paribas
- Shalini Ramanathan, Director of Origination, Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners
- Jared Johnson, Power Origination, ENGIE Global Energy Management Solutions
- Joan Aymamí, Senior Global Business Development Manager, UL
With various forecasts highlighting that throughout the year supply chain costs expect to remain high, obtaining limited onshore permits continue to be challenging, and offshore tenders are showing increasing volume of interest. However, there is no shortage of finance.
In this chat we’ll look into the external factors affecting the financing of wind currently and in the future. In addition, we’ll review:
- The appetite to invest in the European Wind market
- What does the future of financing European Wind look like? And, in a post subsidising world?
Moderator:
- Philippe Kavafyan, CEO, Aker Offshore Wind
Speakers:
- Caroline Lytton, MD – Head of Power & Renewables, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)
- Fabio Borba, Managing Director, EMEA Execution, GE Capital
In this discussion, we will look at why the prospects for onshore wind in continental Europe are looking brighter than they have for many years. There is a new German government with big ambitions for onshore wind; increased confidence in Spain and France; and, across the Channel, we see onshore wind returning to UK support mechanisms for the first time.
Some areas that will be covered include:
- Are we entering a new boom period for onshore wind in Europe?
- What does the risk appetite look like?
- Predictive vs. actual returns?
- Are countries doing enough to speed up permitting?
Moderator:
- Georg Hoefler, Head of Renewables Transactions, Allianz Capital Partners
Panellists:
- Joseba Ripa Serrano, Commercial Lead Europe, UL
- Scott Mackenzie, Head of Asset Management, SUSI Partners
- Sam Goss, Head of Investments, Octopus Renewables
Interviewer:
- Stephanie M. Morley, Conference Producer, A Word About Wind
Interviewee:
- Dr Evgenia Golysheva, VP Strategy & Operations, ONYX Insight
The last couple of years in European offshore wind have been characterised by huge and very competitive auction processes, but what does this mean for the health of offshore wind?
In this session, we consider the results of recent tenders (including ScotWind, Thor and others), and what they say about the health of offshore wind. We’ll review current and planned investments, development pipelines, and skills development. And, we will look at the emerging offshore markets that firms are fighting to be part of; and consider how companies throughout the supply chain can win in such a competitive world.
Moderator:
- Dr Carolyn Heeps, Head of Offshore Development Project Development, Fred. Olsen Seawind
Panellists:
- Gordon MacDougall, Managing Director, UK & Ireland, BayWa r.e.
- Carlos Martin, CEO, BlueFloat Energy
- Ralph Ibendahl, Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets
In this chat we’ll:
- Discuss tendering and what needs to happen to make this a reality going forward
- Review new developments in the market and supply chain changes
Moderator:
- Clément Weber, Managing Director, Green Giraffe
Speakers:
- Allan Baker, Global Head of Power Advisory & Project Finance, Societe Generale
- Adrian De Andres, Director of Market Development, Simply Blue Group
Interviewer:
- Fraser McLaclan, CEO, GCube Underwriting Ltd.
Interviewee:
- Craig McCall, Chief Revenue Officer, Clir Renewables
Interviewer:
- Adam Barber, CEO, Tamarindo Group
Keynote Speaker:
- Simon Goodwin, Head of Marine Delivery, The Crown Estate
With lots of discussion and attention given to green hydrogen as a game changer, will this emerge as an economic reality? Will it live up to its hype? Will this allow heavy industries to reach their decarbonisation goals? What is needed to continue? In this session, we’ll explore the questions above, assess who’s forging ahead and next steps.
Moderator:
- Kevin Lynch, CEO, Source Energie
Speakers:
- Olivia Breese, Senior Vice President, Ørsted P2X, Ørsted
- Dr Mathias Bimberg, Head of Infrastructure, Prime Capital AG
- Matthew Knight, Head of Market and Government Affairs, Siemens
PPAs have been a huge talking point for European wind in the last five years. But while these deals will remain important, there is also increased pressure on wind owners and operators to become more sophisticated in their approach to trading power on the merchant energy markets; and managing the risks that this involves.
We look at merchant risk in the European wind energy sector, and what approaches companies are taking to manage this risk. We will also look at:
- With the merchant market gaining more interest, how will this affect the PPA market? What will be accommodated and what level of PPA support over what term, possible structures and guidelines?
- What new financial/contract models are likely to emerge?
- Will cross border PPAs be likely in the next few years?
Moderator:
- Simon Clement-Davies, Partner, Augusta & Co.
Panellists:
- Bob Psaradellis, CEO & President, Renewable Power Capital
- Jean Vercoutter, Director, Energy Project Finance, MUFG
- Dennis Breugelmans, Project Director – International Markets, SSE
As the last few years have been banner years for the CPPA market, hear from a leading corporate offtaker on how they have added renewables to existing portfolios. You’ll hear a review of the next generation of CPPAs, timelines, and contract agreement terms.
Moderator:
- Natasha Luther-Jones, Partner, International Head of Sustainability and ESG & Global Co-Chair, Energy and Natural Resources Sector, DLA Piper
Panellists:
- Alexandra von Bernstorff, Managing Partner, Luxcara
- Oriol Margó, EMEA Sustainability Transformation Leader, Kimberly-Clark
- Drew Barrett, Head of Energy Markets, Octopus Renewables
Registrations now open!
Register to attend Financing Wind Europe 2022.