UK prime minister, David Cameron, has drawn attention to the inaugural meeting in London today of the Norstec Network, which brings together more than forty organisations committed to collaborative promotion of offshore wind power in northern Europe.
First announced in April, membership of the Norstec Network has more than doubled since then. Member organisations include manufacturers, developers, key offshore wind supplies, researchers and industry bodies. All share Norstec's stated vision of "harnessing the domestic renewable energy resources from Europe's northern seas".
The network's role will be to communicate the scale of the opportunity and the benefits that offshore wind offers to the public, business and within political spheres.
The world's leading offshore wind developer, Danish firm DONG Energy, is among the Norstec signatories. Benj Sykes, representing the developer's wind business, stressed the need for the network "to be backed by strong government support" in order that the economic benefits of offshore wind are fully realised.
UK energy minister Ed Davey has also expressed support for Norstec.
