Power-Gen Delegates See Opportunity Outside Europe and Split on Germany's Nuclear Retreat

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Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Nearly half (49%) of delegates surveyed at Power-Gen Europe and associated conferences in early June believed that the best opportunities for Europe's power engineering sector would come from outside Europe in the next five years.

That the best opportunities would arise in plant modernization and refurbishment in Western Europe was the view of 34% of delegates, while only 18% had faith in the best opportunities coming from new power plant construction in the region.

The survey was designed to quantify delegate's views on some of the key issues affecting the industry in 2012. One of the most divisive topics covered at the conference was Germany's "Enrgiewende," the anti-nuclear shift after Fukushima, which caused heated debate at the joint plenary session. Delegates were split with just over half (52%) of those polled believing that Germany had made the wrong decision to phase out all of its nuclear power generation by 2022, compared to 34% who felt it was the right decision. A further 14% felt that it was too early to tell.

The debate was moderated by BBC broadcaster Stephen Sackur of "Hard Talk," and the panel consisted of international energy company executives. Although the delegates and panel were split, despite contrasting backgrounds they did agree that the future of energy production in Europe has to include renewables. What they were less clear on was how to address issues around pricing, storage and coordinated delivery.

The delegates questioned in the survey consisted primarily of engineers and senior managers representing construction, electric utility and power generation companies, equipment and service suppliers, consultancies, universities and research centers.

Conference director Nigel Blackaby said, "Despite the uncertainty and lack of coordination that concern the industry right now, I have been hugely encouraged by the optimism of visitors and levels of commercial activity seen at the event."

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.