They came, they saw, they debated, they played some serious ping pong…
The second Great Debate was held on the evening of Monday 16 June, at Bounce in Farringdon. Building on the success of our first debate in Aberdeen in 2024, this time an expert panel was assembled to tackle the weighty topic of ground risk in offshore wind.
The Great Debate is a joint project between Ternan Energy and the team at Make the Break, who organise Re-Tech industry meet-ups around the country. The format is simple: bring together a group of industry experts to discuss a single hot topic and take some live questions from the audience. The vibes are set to relaxed and the atmosphere is very much a friendly one. Consider this to be an event for industry insiders, where people can come together, share ideas and hear expert opinions on stage all under Chatham House rules.
Our chosen venue was Bounce ping pong club in Farringdon. We took over a whole floor and set up a small stage at the far end for our panel debate. Doors opened at 5 pm, and the room filled quickly. Welcome drinks were handed out and the seemingly never-ending trays of snacks kept on coming from the kitchens.
Seabed risk
Our topic for the night was seabed ground risk. Each of our panelists was given 4 minutes on the clock to answer the question of the evening:
“Whose Risk is it anyway? With increasing project scale and complexity, how should we manage seabed risk between the developer, contractor and insurer?”
Our panel for the evening was Andy Barwise from RWE, Mary Anne Roff from Seaway 7, Ben Vick from Njord Subsea, Tom Adams from Adams & Moore Solicitors and our very own Mark Finch.
Expert views and flying ping pong balls
The panel did not hold back! Andy Barwise set the pace with an impassioned plea to the industry, accompanied by him throwing ping pong balls at the audience every time he made a major point. (A unique speaking practice and we are very much here for it.) Andy was followed by Mary Ann, Ben, and Mark, who each gave their view from their seat at the table. And last but by no means least, Tom added the legal angle. He claimed that no one would want to hear from the lawyer, but we beg to differ; the audience was hanging on to every word.
The audience got involved
We then moved to a lively Q&A from the audience, which tackled a wide range of topics from wake theft through to the need for better contingency and project planning.
After the debate, most of the room stayed on to chat with the speakers and among themselves, all set against a backdrop of pizza and some impromptu ping pong competition.
The chats went on late into the evening (and rumour has it a small hard-core contingent continued the conversation after hours at Ye Olde Mitre around the corner until the small hours).
Why these events matter
At Ternan, we are proud to be able to put on events like The Great Debate. Despite advancing years, our industry is still a relatively young one, and as we face a myriad of challenges, the need for collaboration is greater than ever. If our events can help bring people together and foster knowledge sharing, then we have helped progress towards a greater goal.
A huge thank you to our speakers for giving up their time to come and share their views. Team Ternan is now in planning for The Great Debate III. Watch this space.