Agenda

It has been more than a decade since the start of the last global financial crisis. Since then, wind has emerged as a mainstream asset class – but how healthy is Europe’s wind market and how well placed is it to cope with new crises? In this session, we plan to answer:

• What types of investors are most active in European wind?
• What impacts have competitive auctions had on wind in Europe?
• What are the biggest threats to liquidity in the wind market?
• Do investors need to re-focus their attention on new markets?
• What financial innovations should we look out for in the market?

Institutional investors and utilities continue to see corporate M&A deals as a way to expand in a challenging market. In this session we talk to an industry expert about the impact of corporate M&A deals on the business models of utilities; the future for private developers; and whether now is the right time to sell out to a larger institution.

The emergence of new offshore wind markets in Asia, Europe and North America shows that the industry is global – but also that there are still hurdles as they seek to compete for investors’ attention. How much focus should investors put on established and emerging markets? And what are the key trends that will drive investment in each?

• How will 10MW-plus turbines affect investment?
• What impact is Brexit likely to have on the UK market?
• When are we likely to see a zero-subsidy project built?
• How can European investors profit in new markets?
• When is floating wind likely to reach commercial maturity?

Over the last 12 months we’ve seen plenty of progress in the floating wind sector, including activity on new projects in Europe and new developments in emerging markets in Asia and the US. In this session, we will look at the latest changes and developments in the floating wind market as it races to commercial maturity.

Large wind turbine makers have been expanding into storage and solar, which is making hybrid projects far more common. In this session, we will discuss the future for hybrid projects; the most practical storage tech for wind farms; and the impact on returns.

• When will hybrid projects including wind go mainstream?
• Which are the most attractive long- and short-duration storage solutions?
• How will these trends impact the financial side of wind projects?
• How do companies need to adapt their strategies for these shifts?
• How will the role of wind in the electricity grid change by 2030?

The growth of competitive tenders and the reduction in feed-in tariffs has left more project developers turning to corporate power deals as a way to take projects to financial close. In this session, we look at the growth and obstacles power purchase agreements in Europe.

• Will the Nordics continue to be Europe’s PPA powerhouse?
• Who’s signing corporate PPAs and where? What does this tell us?
• What innovations can we expect in the structuring of PPAs?
• Is standardisation needed to help PPAs grow across Europe?
• How can wind companies change their approach to counterparty risk?

To continue the discussion, check out details for our inaugural European Wind Investment Awards, including ticket prices and nominations, at www.windawards.com.