Over 250 industry professionals attended the CanWEA Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Summit recently at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale in Mississauga, Ontario.
The two-day event offered attendees 25 exhibitors located within the largest exhibit spare ever for the event. Exhibitors featured their newest products and services in the industry.
“As Canada’s wind energy industry continues to expand, and the significance of O&M in the industry’s success and evolution increases, there are many benefits to convening more than 260 industry leaders to connect and discuss operational issues and improvements, examine innovative tools and techniques, and continue the promotion of health and safety excellence,” said Phil McKay, Operations and Maintenance Program Director, Canadian Wind Energy Association. “These owners, operators, manufacturers and service providers are key contributors to wind energy’s status as the most economical option for new non-emitting electricity generation in Canada.”
The summit allowed attendees to immerse themselves in many topics of interest to the industry. Day one offered a panel discussion on Solutions over Stalemate. How the O&M Sector Can Keep Raising the Bar; presentation on OEM Predictive Analysis Using Large Scale Operational Data; digitalization, and more.
“IHS Markit was so delighted that CanWEA invited us to speak at the Wind Energy O&M conference,” said Rafael McDonald, Director, North American Renewable Power. “The benefit of having so many decision-makers in one room is clear, and will only become more valuable as O&M garners more of the energy spotlight. The networking was top-notch. We look forward to coming again next year!”
Day two featured sessions on An Expanding Role in a Low-Carbon Future, Connecting with O&M, Techno-Future, and Pathway to Innovation.
Also part of the summit was the O&M Awards, which were presented to TECHÉOL inc. for the O&M Outstanding Achievement award, and Vestas Canadian Wind Technology for the Health and Safety Excellence award.
“Canada’s wind energy industry has created over 58,000 person-years of employment in construction and operations, bringing green jobs to nearly 300 communities. The wind power sector has been the largest source of new electricity generation in Canada for over a decade, and our Vision for the industry calls for continued steady growth as Canadians turn to clean and low-cost power to meet an increasing need for a flexible, reliable and carbon-free electricity grid,” said Robert Hornung, President, Canadian Wind Energy Association. “As the penetration of variable generation sources like wind energy on the grid increases, there is a critical role for a thriving and innovative operations and maintenance sector to help ensure the efficient delivery of the full range of products and services non-emitting resources can provide to ensure the reliability of the grid both solely and in partnership with other technologies like solar, hydro or storage.”
