Team Humber Marine Alliance's Offshore Wind Connections conference and exhibition at Bridlington Spa on May 3 and 4 has announced DONG Energy as its diamond sponsor along with a star line-up of speakers.

OWC17 is gaining support from around the estuary with Triton Knoll and East Riding of Yorkshire Council named platinum sponsors.

Klaus Skoust Møller, senior programme director at DONG, said it promised to be a great event.

"It will showcase the Humber’s position as a leader in renewable energy. We are proud to be part of the significant growth in the area.

“We are absolutely committed to our operations in the Humber and plan to invest £6bn in the region by 2019."

Mr Møller added that Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm off the North Norfolk coast, for which DONG is using its Grimsby Fish Docks construction base, would be capable of powering more than half a million UK homes when it becomes operational in 2018.

Mark O'Reilly, Team Humber CEO and chairman, said OWC17 would highlight the Humber's preeminent position in the green energy revolution in the UK and Europe while also looking at global prospects for the region's manufacturers and providers of specialist skills.

"The conference will be devoted to delivering business intelligence and we look forward to welcoming wind farm developers, owners, industry trade bodies and companies along the length of the offshore wind supply chain," he said.

Delegates from New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Offshoreenergy.dk, which have memoranda of understanding with Team Humber for future collaboration, will be present.

Offshoreenergy.dk points to 7500MW of offshore farms being built on the eastern side of the UK in the next five years.

Speakers at the full-day conference of May 4 will include Hugh McNeal, chief executive of Renewable UK, James Cotter, project director of Triton Knoll Offshore Farm, Ray Thompson, head of business development at Siemens Wind Power, and Alex Gauntt, business development manager at Siem Offshore Contractors.

On the evening of the 3rd there will be a Renewable UK networking event, also at the Spa.

Team Humber has announced East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Triton Knoll as platinum sponsors of OWC 2017, the University of Hull’s Project Aura, DeepOcean and Mapa PR as gold sponsors and CWind, Mullion, Myton Law and JBA Consulting as silver sponsors. Greenport Hull are supporters of the event and Renewable UK, NOF Energy and Grimsby Renewables Partnership are partners.

Mr O'Reillly added: "Billions are being pumped into the North Sea industry. The Humber is its epicentre and the opportunities for businesses in the supply chain are vast.

"Three of the UK’s largest wind farms and 80 per cent of all North Sea offshore wind farms are on our doorstep while 60 per cent of the entire European offshore wind project to be built by 2020 is within 12 hours' vessel steaming time."

—To book tickets, go to www.offshorewindconnections.co.uk, £50 plus VAT for Team Humber Marine Alliance members, £75 plus VAT for non-members. Exhibition stands, SOLD OUT.