The Suffolk based company is developing a novel and cost effective approach to combating the problem of ‘scour’ around offshore wind turbines and other offshore structures. The company is led by a management team with significant experience in the North Sea oil and gas industry as well as diving.

The investment will be used to accelerate growth of the business through completion of product trials, strengthening the patents and establishing a sales and marketing infrastructure, the immediate target being the vast North Sea offshore wind farms.

Anthony Clarke, LBA Managing Director comments: "This early stage company with a very experienced sector based management team impressed our investors with their novel approach to solving an acute industry problem. There were many disappointed LBA investors who missed out here!"

Mark Aspinall, CEO of Scour Prevention Systems notes: “LBA has been brilliant for us, and hopefully we'll be back over the next couple of years with other technologies that garner a similar level of interest.”

SOURCE: London Business Angels

At each Study Group, mathematicians from around the world gather to work intensively on problems brought by companies. In the past, companies have used the event for everything from improving the head on Guinness poured from a can, to improving safety for divers by modelling their return to the surface.  From the energy engineering sector problems have included: both the mechanics of drilling bore holes with underreamers and the transport of cuttings during oil drilling, how to prevent/overcome wax deposition in oil pipelines, and how to predict energy output from wind farms.  Other problems have come from a variety of areas including fluid mechanics, chemistry, electronics, transport, finance, optimisation, biology and medicine and have established lasting and productive working links with mathematicians working in research.

The week-long workshops were initiated by theUniversityofOxfordin 1968. The meeting begins with presentations from the participating companies outlining the problem they would like investigated. Delegates then work on the problems for the rest of the week and deliver their solutions on the last day. A formal written report is produced at a later date.

“This is a great chance for local businesses to work with established academics to find rapid solutions to complex problems,” said conference co-ordinator Dr Richard Purvis of UEA’sSchoolofMathematics. “It also provides excellent recruitment opportunities and lays the groundwork for future collaborations.”

To find out more about the study group or pose a problem visit www.cimr.uea.ac.uk/workshops/esgi85, contact Dr Richard Purvis at r.purvis@uea.ac.uk or talk to UEA at the EEEGr SNS event.

He will move to an executive management position as Head of Sustainable Energy,UKwith Norfolk-based Fendercare Marine.

EEEGR chairman Alan Barlow said Mr Best will leave a superb legacy and the board wish him every success in the new role. “He will be exceedingly difficult to replace with his energy and commitment to the energy sector and the region.”

Mr Best told the group’s elected directors of his decision earlier this month and said that being chief executive from day one of EEEGR proved an exciting and privileged position.

“We’ve secured significant profile and success, producing growth as well as substantial value for the regional energy supply chain. None of this could have been achieved without massive support from a whole range of individuals and organisations, for which I will always be grateful.

“One particular moment which will remain with me forever was last year’s reception in the House of Commons as we were praised by Charles Hendry, Energy Minister, for our work in presenting the region through one single voice. It gave me a sense of a 10-year overnight success!” said Mr Best.

EEEGR is a vibrant energy association with rising membership of more than 360 members. It was recently involved in winning Enterprise Zone status forLowestoftand Great Yarmouth and in Government designation of the area as a Centre for Renewable Offshore Engineering. It is also an active partner in the inward investment initiative NSEA (Norfolkand Suffolk Energy Alliance) while its Skills for Energy Programme was cited by Government as the exemplar for what other regions should be doing.

‘With the recent securing of significant ERDF* funding for the future, I am leaving EEEGR in a very strong position,” he added.

Martin Dronfield, Fendercare Marine Group business development director, said: “With John’s track record of success in leading EEEGR to greater and greater things it’s not hard to see why we were so keen to get our man.

“Fendercare Marine is one of the best kept secret success stories in the eastern region. We employ nearly 150 local people in and around our Seething office and we generate tens of millions of pounds for the local economy.”

EEEGR board director and former chairman Mark Goodall said: “The board is very grateful to John for his relentless enthusiasm and persistence. He leaves the organisation on a very healthy and sound footing and well prepared to support the growing membership with the exciting opportunities that are beckoning for the region's energy industry.”

The programme is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and builds on EEEGR’s positive track record in delivering supply chain and business improvement, and promoting the region’s indigenous capability as it positions itself to seize future opportunities for growth.

EEEGR will be delivering an integrated sector development programme to SMEs across the low carbon energy industries in the East of England. This consists of key strands of inward investment and promotion, flagship events to stimulate business to business networking and dissemination of market information, together with a comprehensive supply chain development and business improvement programme.

John Best, CEO of EEEGR said “The region’s energy sector is booming in every part of the supply chain. New opportunities in offshore gas, decommissioning, offshore wind and nuclear are collectively worth more than £50bn over the coming years.

“Securing funding from ERDF has enabled EEEGR to deliver a wider range of services to the region’s energy supply chain. We are delighted to launch this new programme at a time when the business opportunities across the energy sector in this region are at their greatest.”

EEEGR’s next flagship conference, SNS12: The Sea of Opportunity, will be hosted in Norwich on the 1^st March. At the event some of the industry’s biggest names will be outlining some of the many contract and business opportunities on offer over the coming years.

EEEGR’s enhanced supply chain and business improvement programme has been awarded to leading energy industry consultants Nautilus Associates Ltd.

This programme offers companies the chance to spend time with top business consultants without the fee.  This is a unique opportunity for businesses that can make a real difference and add real value to the supply chain.  The Nautilus advisors are able to analyse a company’s current business situation and develop a bespoke action plan for a more prosperous future.  They are able to offer high level strategic business advice and can help find grants or funding and refer the business to valuable contacts within the supply chain.

John Balch, Managing Director of Nautilus Associates said “It’s clear that the opportunities across the energy industry in this region are plentiful. With a right heritage and strong prospects for almost every part of the energy supply chain, we feel privileged to have been awarded this contract to support companies in achieving their development plans and to be contributing part of this region’s continued growth.”

Whether your company is already working in the sector, or has aspirations to grow into the industry, this new support can help to maximise the chances of success. If you would like to explore how your company could benefit from FREE supply chain and business development support, contact EEEGR or Nautilus Associates directly at supplychain@eeegr.com or call 01502 509266

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is a seven year, €308bn programme of European Structural Funds across European Union member states. The ERDF programme for the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk) supports low carbon economic growth until 2013. The ERDF has allocated approximately €110.9 million for use in the East of England.

The marketing know-how of Essex Business School (EBS) has been put to good use with Professor Teck Eng, Head of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group winning funding via the Low Carbon KEEP scheme for a Knowledge Transfer project.

The funding from the European Regional Development Fund amounts to over £8k and will provide a six-month paid post for a graduate.  The graduate will work closely with the company to implement marketing and sales strategies that aim to increase interest in a carbon efficient web-based Human Resources system available to its subsidiary, Flex (UK) Ltd.

The project should help influence the long term sustainability of the company and ensure that low carbon outcomes are identified, analysed and highlighted as an integral benefit for businesses that move their HR processes online.

Low Carbon KEEP is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and East of England Development Agency. The Low Carbon KEEP scheme is open to small and medium sized companies (SMEs) registered in the six East of England counties. Most business sectors are eligible including the 'not for profit? sector, although the coal, agricultural and fisheries sectors are excluded due to European funding regulations.

East of England counties: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk

If you are interested in how this funding may apply to your organisation/upcoming projects please contact:-  Linette Edonya, Enterprise Support Officer, T:  01206 872925, E: ledonya@essex.ac.uk

For further general information about the KEEP scheme.

The innovations range across the energy spectrum from hi-tech training in the classroom to critical work offshore with entries submitted by companies from across the eastern region and beyond.

The awards, in their ninth year, have a track record of producing ideas which go on to become key features of the energy industry both in the UK and internationally.

“The standards seem to get higher every year,” said EEEGR events manager Holly Harvey. “The finalists are chosen from a host of pioneering ideas and groundbreaking technology which can benefit our industry. Innovation is absolutely vital for its development and success across a region which is already recognised as a world leading all energy hub.”

Hosted by former TV presenter Clare Weller, the judging is on February 29, 2-5pm, at the Holiday Inn, Norwich International Airport. It is free to attend and often attracts business enthusiasts keen to capitalise on any innovative ideas presented and to vote for their favorites alongside a team of five expert judges led by John Balch, director of Nautilus Associates.

The winner, runner-up and best low carbon innovation all receive trophies made by Thetford engineering specialists Warren Services.

The results are announced and the awards presented during a Gala Dinner (tickets only) at the Holiday Inn the same evening. EEEGR’s member of the year is also named at the event.

Finalists are:

1 3sun Inspection Services, of Great Yarmouth: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging and handheld software for use on turbines

2 Select Innovations Ltd, from Loddon: EnLight advanced lighting technology delivering significant energy savings and reductions in carbon emissions.

3 4Nrg, Lowestoft: Tidal Harvester, a tidal energy device designed for commercial deployment in shallow seas with fast tides.

4 Gradsol Ltd,London: a High Temperature Conversion of Waste (HTCW) plant processing all types of waste to electricity at up to 70% efficiency.

5 Tidal Transit Ltd, Docking, Norfolk: MV Ginny Louise, an offshore wind support vessel with innovative design and capabilities.

6 Oilennium, Loddon: Physical Interface Driven Simulator, a realistic new portable equipment-training simulator.

7 EcoStyle Ltd, Luton: Educational Renewable Energy Kits, used to bridge the gap between technologies and the classroom or community.

8 OSBIT Power Ltd, Northumberland: MaXccess offshore access system to  revolutionise access to offshore wind turbines from a stable platform on the vessel.

Sponsors for the event are Lowestoft College, Great Yarmouth College, Dummett Copp LLP and Choicce.

For more details click HERE or call Holly Harvey on 01493 446535.

Seajacks Kraken was mobilized for the project at the Port of Ijmuiden (Netherlands) in early December where the vessel was commissioned with a complete well servicing package. The vessel then sailed to its first location in the Dutch Sector of the North Sea, Platform L13-FE, on December 21 2011.

The scope of well repair and maintenance work will see the vessel visit nearly 50 platforms and perform tasks such as coiled tubing interventions, installation of velocity strings, as well as well testing and well head maintenance. This campaign is expected to extend the life of some wells by up to 10 years.

Ante Frens, responsible for NAM and Shell’s offshore activities in Southern North Sea said: “This cooperation is a key example of our activities to extend the fieldlife of our offshore facilities. We are continuously applying new innovative technologies to produce more gas out of existing fields and we are looking for opportunities to exploit new small gas fields. Through the new contract with Seajacks Kraken we are looking to further reduce costs and work more efficiently.”

Blair Ainslie, Managing Director at Seajacks said:

“We are clearly delighted that NAM and Shell have chosen to execute this well recovery and maintenance campaign in the Southern North Sea with the Seajacks Kraken. It is the realisation of over 10 years work to bring the Kraken, a self-propelled multi-purpose jack-up, to the North Sea Oil and Gas sector. Self-propulsion and self-positioning brings an abundance of interface efficiency savings for the oil and gas sector. Kraken’s DP2 four thruster set-up eliminates the use of tugboats and anchor handling, this not only provides cost savings but as the vessel is more efficient it reduces HSE risks and exposures. Kraken is also able to position, preload and jack in a larger weather window than traditional vessels, up to 2.0m significant wave height. In addition, the large accommodation block means she is able to move with all persons on board, which eliminates the need for shuttling of around 50 staff by helicopter, for each move. Her 300T crane and 50T auxiliary crane is also essential for the velocity string campaign as lifts can go upto 40T.”

Certex’s Aberdeen operations have increased their turnover by 40% in the past year and the company is looking to strengthen this position still further by moving the location of its administrative and services base within the city.

The company is transferring its regional lifting centre from the outlying Harehill Industrial Estate to a more central location on Froghall Road. The new 6,500ft² facility comprises a warehouse, offices and separate workshop, in addition to a large dedicated training area.

It will operate along the same lines as Certex’s other regional centres and handle lifting gear sales, product hire, repair and maintenance, as well as product inspection and testing.

The centre will run alongside Certex’s specialist manufacturing base in Montrose, which was set up two years ago to enhance the company’s range of industrial services to the offshore market, including the production of Certex’s own-brand range of slings.

Certex also provides a wide range of products from the world’s leading manufacturers, including Bridon Ropes, Crosby fittings for ropes and chains, Kuplex chain systems, Elephant chain blocks, Powertex branded slings and Walker magnets. 

“The new Froghall Road site provides an ideal base from which to run Certex’s regional operations,” said Davy Young, Certex’s Regional Business Manager.

“It is closer to the city centre and provides excellent facilities for our staff and customers.

“The training facilities are also superb. Theoretical training can take place in the first-floor classrooms, while the practical work can be taught in the workshops downstairs,” he added.

All staff previously located at the company’s Harehill premises will transfer to the new centre and the company has added to its team of skilled engineers to meet increased demand in the workshop. There are also plans to appoint another sales executive in the New Year to keep pace with the growth in business.

Certex is well known for supplying a wide range of quality products and services to the offshore industry and has a number of high profile clients in the sector.

Pictured above is an artists impression of the Aerogenerator X installed offshore. Looking completely different from a conventional wind turbine, it has a set of aerofoil blades mounted on the vertical axis (see our article vertical axis wind turbine). The span of these blades will be around 300 metres and they will typically complete one full revolution about the central axis once every 20 seconds. Engineers hope that this new design will enable more efficient very large scale wind turbines to be built affordably.

It is planned for the first 10MW Aerogenerator to be installed in 2013 or 2014.

Britain’s biggest state-owned bank is likely to lend more to renewables this year than last, Andrew Buglass, head of energy in RBS’s structured finance division, said in an interview. “Generally as an asset class compared to others that we are involved in, it is a very robust product.”

RBS has renewed its commitment to renewables after scaling back loans to all energy projects following its 2008 government bailout. The Edinburgh-based bank, now focusing its clean-energy investment on the U.K., is continuing to fund the wind, solar and biomass industries even after cutting jobs and selling assets amid stumbling economic growth.

“RBS is one of the big lenders to renewable-energy projects in the U.K. but is less active in the rest of Europethan it was before the financial crisis,” said Angus McCrone, a senior analyst at researcher Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “Its lending to the sector in Europe as a whole would certainly put it in the top 20 commercial banks and possibly the top 10.”

Solid Cash

The bank is working to close four to six deals by the end of this quarter with a combined value of as much as 150 million pounds, Buglass said in London. Renewables projects have“predictable, solid cash flows and are underpinned by a very good regulatory regime, specifically in the U.K.,” he said.

Britain’s Renewables Obligation Certificate system supports clean-energy generation by awarding tradable credits, and compels utilities to buy power from wind farms, biomass plants and wave and tidal-energy projects.

Of the six deals targeted for this quarter, RBS is “fairly confident” it will complete two to three, Buglass said. These are in the solar, wind and biomass industries.

Some clean-energy projects in Europe have struggled for financing in the past year as the sovereign-debt crisis and tightening credit markets limit available funds. The 27-nationEuropean Union is sticking to clean-energy targets for member states, aiming for an average 20 percent share of energy from renewable sources across the bloc by 2020.

Financing Costs

“Every bank out there has been affected by the euro zone issues,” Buglass said. The cost of financing for banks has increased “dramatically” since mid-2011, meaning some lenders in Europe have lacked sterling and stopped lending to British ventures, he said.

Before the credit squeeze there were 50 to 60 banks that would lend to U.K. projects, and now there are about 15 to 20, according to Buglass. The uncertainty is likely to continue as Europe’s debt crisis shows no signs of being resolved, he said.

RBS shares have rallied 30 percent this year as the bank announced plans to cut about 4,800 jobs and divest unprofitable assets. The lender said Jan. 12 it will sell or close its cash equities, mergers advisory, corporate broking and equity capital markets operations to reduce costs amid volatile markets.

In renewables, RBS will probably focus on biomass and wind in 2012, Buglass said. The bank has seen a “surge” in biomass developments after the U.K. reviewed its Renewables Obligation banding in October, he said. Biomass plants generate power from organic materials such as woodchips, municipal waste and straw.

The government’s review proposed greater subsidies for so-called enhanced biomass co-firing generators and left incentives for other forms of biomass power mostly unchanged, easing uncertainty in the industry.

“To date we have financed about 6.5 billion pounds’ worth of renewable projects globally, which is just under about 9 gigawatts of capacity,” Buglass said.

Among projects being considered by RBS, almost half are developed by companies or people it’s worked with in the past, Buglass said. The lender has previously worked with companies including Kedco Plc (KED), Helius Energy Plc (HEGY) and RidgeWind Ltd.

This week, the South-West of the UK was named as the location for the nation’s first Marine Energy Park, which will stretch from Bristol as far as the Isles of Scilly.

David Blake, renewable energy group manager at Allen & York, tells Recruiter: “We are finding that there is a definite shortage of talent within the renewable energy market and that it is also very hard to find the talent when it does exist.”

The estimate of 10,000 jobs being supported by the wave and tidal energy generation sector by 2020 comes from industry body RenewableUK’s report ‘Channelling the Energy’.

The report says: “It is thought that the existing skills base will be insufficient to deliver the industry growth needed”, although it adds that it is a resolvable problem.

David Green, director of the Renewables Training Network, a project jointly funded by the industry and the government, administered by RenewableUK, tells Recruiter that the introduction of a wind turbine service technician apprenticeship in 2010 shows that small steps in the right direction are already being taken.

Green adds that geography is one major challenge for finding talent for often-remote renewable energy projects, but adds that “entrants with strong mechanical and electrical engineering backgrounds, along with other relevant cross sector skills will be well placed to move into this market”.

Blake agrees that such sectors do provide relevant skills, but believes that contending with the issue in the present, rather than hoping for future developments, is a challenge.

He says: “There is no ’one size fits all’ answer to the problem. [But] If the recruiter is a true specialist then they should be able to find ways of sourcing professionals outside the market and offer realistic advice based on previous experience.”

Blake says the oil & gas, aerospace and wider energy industries are the best sources of talent at the moment, with various European markets also proving fruitful.

As reported by recruiter.co.uk in September last year, universities and industry are set to provide training for graduates in windmill and wave energy technologies beginning this month, following a £6.5m investment from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

More than nine out of ten people who took part in the survey said they were in favour of the idea of generating all the island’s electricity needs from renewable sources, while almost as many said they were in favour of using at least ten wind turbines to generate some, or even all, of those electricity requirements.

TZCB project manager Reeni Kennedy-Boyle is now working on a definition of what a community-owned energy project on Bute might look like, and told us she hoped the organisation would be able to set out a way forward by the end of March.

“The consultation was very positive,” Reeni said, “and marks the beginning of our journey to what will hopefully result in Bute becoming one hundred per cent renewable. 

“There is a long way to go, however, and I am sure there will need to be a few more consultations as individual projects such as Ascog and the Bute Forest hydro plans progress on the island. 

“It seems clear that there is a great appetite for our community to become more self-sustaining economically and environmentally.

“I would like to think that renewable energy and energy efficiency measures will play an important part providing new employment opportunities, reducing our energy costs and increasing our contribution to the global goal of carbon reduction.”

Towards Zero Carbon Bute is part of Fyne Futures, the ‘sustainability’ arm of local housing association Fyne Homes, and is funded by the Climate Challenge Fund, a programme sponsored by the Scottish Government to support sustainable development in Scotland which has so far given backing to 345 communities across Scotland.

“We can take pride that over the last three years we are using more locally grown food, reusing and recycling a significant part of our waste, improving our energy efficiency through behaviour change and other measures and growing our use of renewable technology,” Reeni added. 

“We can add to that a growing number of people who are choosing to give up on their cars and use alternatives such as our community car club.

“We are demonstrating a ‘think global, act local’ way of living – much has been achieved and there is much to do.”

Winning bids include opening show homes to demonstrate solid wall insulation
to the public, schemes to check the energy efficiency of homes and invest in
renewable energy, and events to promote the uptake of energy efficiency in local
communities.

Chris Huhne said:

“We face a gigantic challenge in the coming years to keep the lights on and
energy bills down. This means nurturing cleaner, more secure, homegrown energy
sources here in the UK so we are not so dependent on imported gas, and boosting
the energy efficiency of our homes and businesses to cut out waste. Local
communities, with their energy, drive and innovation, are going to be at the
heart of this effort, and I hope that this funding acts as a booster rocket to
the winning projects.”

The funding comes as the Government gears up for the launch of the Green Deal
later this year, the first scheme of its kind in the world, aimed at radically
overhauling the energy efficiency of millions of homes across the UK.

Organisations including parish councils, voluntary associations, development
trusts and faith groups are all eligible to apply for LEAF funding.  Around 200
projects are expected to benefit in total and there is still time to apply – the
second round will close to applications at noon on 20 January 2012 with
successful communities notified at the end January.

LEAF is managed by a consortium of community networks administered by the
Energy Saving Trust. Money is intended to be used for understanding energy
efficiency at a local level and renewable energy generation issues. There is on
average £50,000 available for each successful bid but money allocated depends on
the proposals put forward. Any work needs to be completed by end of March
2012.

Peter Lipman, Chair of Communities and Climate Action Alliance
said:
“Hundreds of communities responded fantastically to the opportunity
afforded by LEAF with imaginative and innovative schemes.  It’s wonderful to see
that many of them will be funded and so will have a chance to show just what
those communities can deliver.”

Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said:

“Showing people that ‘going green’ is practical and realistic is essential
if we’re to successfully refurbish the housing stock, and enabling people to see
energy efficiency measures installed in real homes in their area is a key part
of this.  It’s also absolutely crucial that residents of local communities have
a say in what will work best in their area, so they can have a stake in our more
sustainable future. LEAF, on both counts, sets the groundwork for success.”

Mainstream is also finalising an equity fundraising, €13 million of which has already been invested by Irish high-net-worth individuals through NCB Stockbrokers.    

There is expected to be further investment from institutional investors which when combined with the above will provide the business with an additional €100 million  in capital to fully fund the current business plan.   

Commenting on the fundraising, Mainstream’s Chief Executive Eddie O’Connor said: “2011 was an outstanding year for Mainstream. We won 238MW of wind and solar contracts in South Africa; we procured wind turbines for our first wind farms in Chile and Ireland which we plan to build this year and we successfully sold the first two projects in our massive offshore UK wind zone in what was the largest deal of its kind last year. Despite economic conditions Mainstream is bucking the trend; we have aggressive growth plans for this year onwards and these fundraisings underpin the level of confidence in our business.”   

The funds are being used to finance the company’s international expansion:   

South Africa: In December 2011, Mainstream won 238MW of contracts in the South African government’s first procurement round for renewable energy. The contracts comprise a 138MW wind farm and two 50MW solar photovoltaic farms which will reach financial close later this year.   

Chile: In December 2011 Mainstream purchased 23 Goldwind GW87 1.5 MW wind turbines ahead of constructing its first wind farm in Chile in Q2 2012.    

Ireland: Mainstream plans to build two onshore wind farms in Ireland this year.   

Offshore: In December 2011 the company sold a portion of the mega-scale Hornsea offshore wind farm in the UK, successfully proving its offshore business model. Mainstream is also developing two further large-scale offshore projects in Scotland and Germany.

A number of renewables industry insiders have privately expressed concerns that the proposed Scottish independence referendum and the prospect of a break-up of the United Kingdom may disrupt the existing subsidy mechanisms on which project developers rely.

Speaking to BusinessGreen last week, one industry source said that the proposed referendum is "deeply unhelpful" for the green energy sector, particularly given Scotland's position as the UK's leading renewable energy market.

However, speaking at an event at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi to mark the widely trailed partnership between Scotland and Masdar, the Emirate's green energy company, Salmond insisted that there would be no post-independence disruption to Scotland's renewables industry.

"Everything is guaranteed, nothing changes," he said. "Scotland is doing extremely well [to attract investment] and will continue to do so."

He pointed to research published by Channel 4 yesterday that named Scotland as the most effective region in the UK at creating jobs through foreign investment.

Salmond also made reference to last year's report by Altium Securities, which concluded investment in Scotland's renewable energy sector would continue, regardless of Scotland's constitutional future.

But the Altium report contradicted a separate study by Citigroup, which argued independence could cause significant reduction to renewable energy projects in the country.

About £750m of Scottish green energy projects came online in 2011, while the Scottish government estimates the development pipeline could be worth about £46bn.

Salmond said the deal with Masdar will also go some way to securing Scotland's energy future by accelerating the development and commercialisation of a range of low-carbon technologies.

Today's agreement will see an alliance of 12 Scottish universities collaborate with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. They will work on projects that aim to bring down the cost of offshore wind by up to 20 per cent and accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) facilities.

Marine energy is also a likely future area for co-operation between the two states, said Salmond.

The Framework for Action agreement should see three projects identified for initial investment by the end of the first quarter of 2012, with the projects expected to get underway by the end of the year.

"The real prize is that the technologies we refine together are applied at a global scale," Salmond said. "Technology must be commercial if it is to be widespread."

Masdar already owns a third of the 1GW London Array offshore wind farm being constructed in the Thames estuary and Frank Wouters, director of Masdar Power, did not rule out further investments in the UK.

"We have a very good relationship with other parts of the UK and we are always exploring opportunities for other investments," he said. "[But] there is nothing immediate coming up."

Wouters added that the state-owned company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the US Department of Energy and is planning to send delegations to Japan, China and South Korea to investigate further potential collaborations.

"Other relationships Masdar has can only be good for Scotland," added Lena Wilson, chief executive of development agency Scottish Enterprise. "These could become tripartite agreements. Japan and China are already looking to Scotland [for investment]."

Arriving at DECC's headquarters in London, Mr Davey said:

"This is a sad day because Chris Huhne has had a real vision for a green economy and he's done fabulous work as Secretary of State.

"I've now got to take up the challenges - the challenge of climate change, the challenge of energy security.

"And I'm particularly conscious of the impact on households across the country of high energy bills.

"I'm determined to work to follow on Chris's priorities, the
Coalition's priorities and to make them my priorities.

"I want us to have a green economy, with the green jobs and investment we need to help grow our economy." 

Visiting the Building Research Establishment’s Innovation Park near Watford, a testing site for green homes, they will meet graduates considering moving into green construction jobs.

The Deputy Prime Minister will say:

“The race is on to lead the world in clean, green energy. Last year we saw record-breaking global investment in renewables - outstripping the cash piled into fossil fuels. The new economic powerhouses - China, India, Korea, Brazil - are now serious contenders for that capital.

“So the choice for the UK is simple: wake up, or end up playing catch up. In today’s world the savviest states understand that going for growth means going green. Low-carbon markets are the next frontier in the battle for global pre-eminence.

“We have every reason to be confident. The combination of enviable wind, wave and tidal power, a world-beating research base and a proud history of engineering give the UK a clear competitive edge. So we’re already in pole position. But the reality is: we need to sharpen our elbows if we want to stay ahead.

“I want the UK to be the number one destination for green investment. We’re in this race to win it.”

Mr Davey, who was appointed to the Cabinet by the Prime Minister on Friday, is a trained economist and an environmental campaigner since university. He will say today:

“I have long believed in the need to marry our economic and environmental agendas. Greening the economy isn't just good for the planet - it's good for the wallets, purses and pockets of every British citizen too.

“By focusing on the low carbon industries of the future we can rebalance our economy, reducing our dependence on the City of London on the one hand, and on oil and gas imports from unstable parts of the world on the other.

“My priorities are very simple: green jobs, green growth and getting the best deal for energy bill payers. My department is already implementing bold and ambitious reforms - like electricity market reform and the Green Deal - to unlock private investment, drive innovation and build a resilient, green, competitive economy. It's now my job to see those through.

“There may have been a change at the helm, but there'll be no change in direction or ambition.”

UK OFFSHORE WIND SUPPLY CHAIN

At today’s meeting of the Offshore Wind Developers’ Forum, co-chaired by DECC Minister Charles Hendry, the sector will confirm their vision that UK firms should provide more than 50% of the content of future windfarms. Having started from a low base, there is already growth in the proportion of UK content in offshore wind. For example, Robin Rigg windfarm has a UK content of 32%.

Today’s announcement reflects recent developments in the UK’s offshore wind supply chain. In December Siemens announced they are moving forward with a turbine manufacturing plant in Hull. In January the Port of Sheerness submitted a planning application for the development of the manufacturing facility proposed by Vestas. Gamesa have announced their intention to make the UK the main focus of their worldwide offshore wind business. And, just last week, David Brown, a prime example of British engineers at the cutting edge of new technology, announced a major new contract to build gearboxes for Samsung.

COMMUNITY GRANTS

The Energy and Climate Change Secretary also today announced that 155 community energy projects across the
country have won a share of £5.1 million of funding from the Local Energy Assessment Fund. The winning bids include projects to demonstrate wall insulation to the public, schemes to check the energy efficiency of homes and events to promote energy efficiency in local communities.

The funding comes as the Government gears up for the launch of the Green Deal later this year, the first scheme of its kind in the world, aimed at radically overhauling the energy efficiency of millions of homes across the UK.

Mr Davey said:

“The big national challenges of keeping the lights on and emissions down can be tackled in small ways in our homes and local communities. These grants are designed to nurture the ideas and enthusiasm of communities up and down the country who want to cut energy use, cut emissions and save money.”

Speaking at Westminster Hall last Tuesday, Mr Aldous said: "It's important that we realise the full potential that this opportunity presents for the East Anglian economy.

"The Thanet wind farm is a great engineering feat, but much of the value generated by that project went to companies outside the UK.

"Lessons must be learnt so we can ensure that our coastal communities, such as that in Lowestoft and Waveney that I represent, benefit fully from this opportunity."

In response, Energy Minister Charles Hendry said he had visited East Anglia and was impressed by the efforts of local businesses to bring work to the region.

"The government is not neutral about this. We are making a very clear message to those who are developing the offshore facilities that we would like them to give British companies every opportunity to pitch for their business," he said.

"My concern is that sometimes they are not even on the tender list."

Business Minister Mark Prisk has today launched a nationwide competition to find the most innovative pre-market products, processes and concepts the UK has to offer.

The £100,000 facility, based at Lowestoft College, was opened yesterday alongside a refurbished engineering workshop which aims to make the college the leading training centre in its field. The 18m tower will train workers in the wind farm industry, and includes a wind turbine transfer ladder and a helicopter hoist.

Plans are also under way to install a hub and a blade in the near future.

Principal of Lowestoft College Simon Summers said: “Our new tower means that, together with the National Wind Farm Training Centre (NWFTC), we are able to offer a one-stop training centre for the offshore sector and can continue to provide the training needed for the fast growing energy industry.”

The tower was set up in partnership between the college’s maritime and offshore centre and Essex-based NWFTC as it complements the college’s large survival training tank, which can simulate the harsh conditions of the North Sea.

Meanwhile, improvements to the engineering workshop were financed by a £1.3m funding boost by University Campus Suffolk, the Local Strategic Partnership, the Skills Funding Agency and the college’s resources.

Colin Urquhart, a director for CWind, which provided funding for the training tower, said: “If you intended to take on a brand new technician and get them ready to work offshore, you would usually have to send them to different locations across the country. But here a technician can come for a day and get every qualification they need for the offshore industry.” 

MP for Waveney Peter Aldous, who attended the official opening ceremony, said: “Investment in schools is paramount if we are going to make the most of opportunities in the energy industries.”

The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult will be headquartered at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow with an operational centre at the National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) in the North East of England.

The national centre will focus on technologies for offshore wind, wave and tidal power and is designed to bridge the gap between university research and full commercialisation. It will have a UK wide remit, and build strong links with centres of excellence such as Wave Hub and the marine energy park in the South West of England.

Speaking at the launch of the Catapult in Glasgow, Vince Cable said:

“Our offshore renewable sector can compete on a global scale and has huge potential for growth. If we can harness that we will generate billions of pounds for the economy whilst creating thousands of job opportunities at the same time.

“The Catapult centre will be based in a Scottish world-class centre of excellence, part of a collaboration with a centre in the North East of England.”

Today’s announcement is part of the Government’s investment in a network of Catapult centres across a number of sectors. The £140 million High Value Manufacturing Catapult is now operating across seven locations around the UK. A £50 million Cell Therapy Catapult will be established in London and a Satellite Applications Catapult and Connected Digital Economy Catapult will be set up later this year.

The Catapult centre programme is managed by the Technology Strategy Board as part of a wider support package for innovation.

Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board said:

“Our reputation and expertise in offshore engineering, gained through many years of commercial North Sea oil activity, makes the UK an excellent base for innovation relevant to the emerging offshore renewable energy sector.

“The generation and supply of renewable energy is now a major component of global energy and economic policies. UK businesses have an opportunity to be a significant part in this global industry.”

The Secretary of State announced the decision to create an Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult in Liverpool in May 2011. It is expected to be open by summer this year.

The centre will be delivered by a consortium comprised of the Carbon Trust, Narec and Ocean Energy innovation (itself an industrially led group with strong links into the world class capabilities developed at universities such as Strathclyde and Edinburgh).

Professor Jim McDonald, Chairman of the Energy Technology Board and Principal of the University of Strathclyde, said:

“I am delighted that this truly collaborative bid has been successful. By securing the UK Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the country will build on our already globally competitive reputation for advances in renewable technology and deployment.

“Our world-class research base offers distinct advantages and will accelerate industrial innovation. We will help to develop and drive the industry over the coming ten years and beyond.

“We aim to make the ORE Catapult the world’s pre-eminent centre of expertise for rapid development and commercialisation of highly innovative technologies that will substantially reduce the cost of offshore renewable energy.”

Source: BIS Newsroom

No official explanation has as yet been provided by the company and a Vestas spokesperson said: "We do not yet know who the new head of offshore will be."

The former Vestas Central Europe president took over the reins from Anders Soe-Jensen, who was an early casualty in the ongoing major reorganization at the Danish manufacturer.  Staff were told of Rieks’ departure yesterday.

The spokesperson said: “Yesterday morning we were informed that Hans Jorn Rieks has been laid off.”

Vestas said ealier this week that Henrik Norremark, chief financial officer and deputy chief executive, had resigned and chairman, Bent Carlsen, and two other board members were also stepping down.

Vestas last month shook up the offshore business in a bid to reflect its "importance" to the company, moving offshore turbine sales into a unit reporting directly to the global chief operating officer.

Source: www.offshorewind.biz

The facility will be Scotland’s first offshore wind turbine test site and will be an extension of SSE’s Glasgow-based Centre of Engineering Excellence for Renewable Energy (CEERE). In partnership with leading turbine suppliers, up to three prototype turbines will be tested at the site for a period of five years.

Managing Director of SSE Renewables, Jim Smith, said: “We are delighted with the decision by North Ayrshire Council; this project will represent an important project for the wider offshore wind industry, by providing a test facility it will allow manufacturers to demonstrate the reliability of the next generation of longer capacity turbines ahead of deployment offshore.

“Work to address the conditions associated with the consent will now take place. During this time we will be engaging with communities ahead of the construction phase when we hope to build on the good community relations we have established.”

The planning consent is the culmination of significant consultation and engagement with local residents, community organisations, elected representatives and government agencies.

Enabling works are due to begin in the spring with the main construction period commencing late 2012 and a planned project achievement date of early 2013.

Source: www.offshorewind.biz

Siemens will be represented by Jamie Rowlands who will tell around 300 delegates at SNS2012 about the role the region’s supply chain can play in servicing the massive potential demand for wind turbines off the East Coast.

“With speakers already lined up from Bremerhaven-based WindMW and from turbine specialist REpower Systems, the conference will boast some remarkable global expertise and experience,” said Holly Harvey, EEEGR’s events manager.

“We’re on course for more than 300 delegates and 40 exhibition stands, by far the biggest event we’ve staged and of massive significance to the region,” she added.

The focus of the conference will go far beyond just the windpower potential of the SNS (Southern North Sea).

Keynote speaker John Westwood, group chairman of international energy business advisors Douglas-Westwood, will emphasise the continuing success of the gas industry with new and smaller companies developing the remaining reserves as well as the growing multi-billion pound decommissioning sector.

“The next few years will be a period of great change and challenges, but also major business prospects for companies in this, The Energy Region,” he said.

Principal speakers from Shell, RWE Dea, Perenco and Oil & Gas UK are included in the conference line-up.

Delegates can also take part in a Meet the Buyer session, incorporating experts from across the energy sector – the latest addition being Iain Elliott, executive project director for Jacobs Engineering and who is currently working with global clients Shell on the Bacton Gas Terminal Rejuvenation Project. Also joining the team is David Hodkinson, now vice president of UK Business Delivery for Technip, a world leader in project management, engineering and construction for the energy industry.

SNS2102, The Sea of Opportunity, sponsored by Seajacks UK and supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is being held at the John Innes Centre, Norwich.

Source: EEEGR

Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb particularly focused on job opportunities and the potential for supply chain development in the area.

Scira Offshore Energy General Manager, Einar Strømsvåg said that the wind farm has already created direct employment for approximately 50 local people, as well as business opportunities for at least 120 North Norfolk businesses, ranging from accommodation and transport to catering and security.

"But Sheringham Shoal is really just the beginning for the offshore wind industry in Norfolk," he added. "Potentially there are more than 500 jobs if Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth are fully developed as construction bases and if the developers of other wind farms follow our lead and use Wells-next-the-Sea as their operations and maintenance base."

Local MP Norman Lamb commented afterwards, "this is a really impressive project that is bringing jobs and business opportunities to the local area. There is the potential for this industry to provide a real boost to the region’s economy while delivering the clean energy we need for the future. With the growth of offshore wind energy off the Norfolk coast, local youngsters can see new job opportunities ahead. We need to make sure that our schools and colleges are geared up so that we can take advantage of this opportunity."

Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm now has 28 of its 88 turbines in place and is scheduled for completion in late summer 2012.

Source: www.normanlamb.org.uk

When commissioned in summer 2013, the 15MW capacity test facility will be the most advanced of its type in the world, providing 6 degrees of freedom for applying load forces.

To provide sufficient support for the rig, a 43-metre by 12-metre test bed foundation will be constructed to a depth of 4m. This will be contained within a 32-metre high steel framed building constructed with 1300 tonnes of steel. The access door is 20m x 20m and 2 x 250 T cranes will lift test pieces into place.

Tony Quinn, Director of Major Projects and Assets at Narec, said: "It’s great to see works starting on site for this world-leading facility, which will accelerate technology development and time to market for the UK offshore wind industry. It will provide Narec with a controlled environment to test the next generation of offshore turbines in accordance with international standards, before they are deployed in large numbers offshore."

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) is investing £25m in the Narec facility, by providing funding to GE Energy - Power Conversion and MTS Systems Corporation for the design, development and commissioning of the test rig.

Dr David Clarke, ETI Chief Executive, said: "The test rig that will be housed on the Narec site is the biggest project to date commissioned by the ETI and has seen us invest over £25m in its design, development and commissioning. It will be a world leading large-scale engineering project and we look forward to the site being developed and taking shape over the next few months."

One North East invested £10 million in the building to house the rig.

The counties are set to lead the way in the UK’s shift towards a low-carbon economy after the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) was chosen by the government as the country’s “Green Pathfinder LEP”, last year.

That has seen the creation of a Green Econony Pathfinder (GEP) board comprising a leading green and low-carbon businesses who will draw up the manifesto looking at how barriers to growth can be removed.

The board, also including senior representatives from the Chambers of Commerce, Bio Group, Adnams, EDF, the UEA and East Anglia Offshore Wind, has set itself a tough deadline to deliver a manifesto to government in the spring.

Mark Pendlington, group director for Anglian Water, who is chairman of the pathfinder, said: “An effective transition to a sustainable economy will boost economic recovery, create jobs, increase resource security and help make the UK more globally competitive.

“Norfolk and Suffolk have some of the UK’s most dynamic, innovative and ideas-driven businesses and academics, and the project means we can lead the way in helping to tran-sition the green economy of the UK.”

The board, which held its first meeting in the Council House at the UEA, is considering case studies from across the New Anglia region that highlight the success of low carbon industry in Suffolk and Norfolk and how it can lead the way for the UK in repeating this work up and down the country. The manifesto will include highlighting barriers to further growth at this challenging time for the economy.

The case studies being considered focus on low carbon, business resource efficiency, off shore and off grid, nuclear and natural capital.

“This project is for everyone who wants to put low carbon at the heart of business opportunity and success – and we welcome all thoughts, ideas and examples of best practice in action. Let’s make our voice heard loud and clear in government and across the UK,” Mr Pendlington added.

The GEP team is now drafting the manifesto and will hear from many more businesses at a one-day conference on March 1 it has organ-ised in conjunction with the Environment Agency. Entitled Norfolk and Suffolk – Leading the Green Economy, the event will hear from industry leaders and aims to ensure businesses across New Anglia can input into the process.

Source: Eastern Daily Press

Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex county councils have pledged to work together on a two-year project to promote links between business, universities and industry associations, particularly in the energy sector.

Last year the leaders of the three county councils signed a memorandum of understanding pledging to work together to provide the skills base that businesses in the energy sector will need to realise their growth potential.

In March representatives from all three counties will be taking part in their first joint trip to China, visiting the cities of Nanjing, Wuxi and Kunshan over three days.

Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu Province and is the base for many of the key government departments, industry associations, research institutes and universities. Wuxi is a leading city in China for renewable energy industries and home to important wind energy manufacturers. Wuxi also has China’s strongest photovoltaic cluster and is home to Suntech, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of PV cells.

On the final day of the visit the county representatives will be exhibiting at the China International Import Expo in Kunshan, near Shanghai. It is the first national level import expo to actively promote the import of foreign products and technologies to China.

Essex County Council is working with the Jiangsu provincial government to organise a networking conference near the expo to promote the East Anglia offshore wind energy industry.

Anne Steward, Norfolk County Council’s portfolio holder for economic development, said: “We are keen to ensure that every opportunity is explored to develop the supply chain for the East Anglian Array.

“It is up to us to ensure the right level of innovation and expertise is involved and that many jobs are created in Norfolk as a result. It is clear that the opportunities to attract inward investment from China are growing and the huge population represents a massive market for our own goods and services.

“Opportunities for joint ventures and partnerships in China are also growing with some Norfolk companies already having successful trading arrangements, so joint working with our neighbouring counties is a good place to start,” she added.

Source: Eastern Daily Press

The Energy and Climate Change Committee says the UK had in the past lost its early lead on wind power through lack of support, and must not make the same mistake again on marine energy.

Its report recommends increasing funding and improving links between UK and Scottish programmes.

The Carbon Trust recently said marine power could create 10,000 jobs by 2020.

By 2050, it said, the global market could be worth £340bn, with the UK claiming about one-fifth of the business.

And with the UK possessing seven out of the eight large-scale prototypes deployed anywhere in the world, it was well-placed to lead the global race, the MPs said.

"In the 1980s the UK squandered the lead it had in wind power development, and now Denmark has a large share of the worldwide market in turbine manufacturing," said Tim Yeo MP, the committee's chairman.

"It should be a priority for the government to ensure that the UK remains at the cutting edge of developments in this technology and does not allow our lead to slip."

Electricity demand
 
The committee's report, The Future of Marine Renewables in the UK, included an examination of tidal stream generators, where devices such as big rotors are turned by the incoming and outgoing tides, but excluded barrage technologies such as the mooted Severn Barrage, which tend to be much more expensive and can cause big ecological problems.

It has been estimated that wave and tidal technologies could supply about one-fifth of the UK's current electricity demand, and many other nations are becoming interested, in particular the Nordic countries, South Korea and China.

But currently they are expensive - about five times the price of onshore wind, for example.

As with other new technologies, the government expects costs to fall dramatically once devices and installation become standardised.

But there is little chance of marine power making a major contribution by 2020.

The government recently reduced its estimate of the 2020 contribution from 1-2 gigawatts (GW) to 200-300 MW, and the committee says that should be looked at again, as several industry experts have said the new target can be met easily.

The size of the UK funding pot for marine renewables, at £20m, should also be re-examined, they say. And deployment of that money should be co-ordinated better with the Scottish government, which has a separate £18m budget.

The level of subsidy companies receive up to 2017 is secure, the MPs say - but longer-term clarity is needed in order to give investors confidence.

David Clarke, chief executive of the Energy Technologies Institute, a government-industry collaboration, said time was of the essence.

"The marine renewables industry must demonstrate its ability to be cost-competitive, compared with other low-carbon technologies, in the next 5-8 years if it is to engage commercial investors," he said.

"If it doesn't, other technologies will be built as alternatives; investors will feel more assurance in them and see more opportunity for return."

With projects such as Marine Current Turbines' tidal generator in Strangford Lough showing the technologies can work with no discernible impact on local ecology, the next step will be to build arrays of several connected devices; but each array would cost around £40-50m, the committee heard, meaning current levels of support could be inadequate.

Another recommendation from the committee is that with many of the best sites in remote locations around northern and western Scotland and in the Orkneys and Shetlands, finance for grid connection needs ramping up.

'Fully committed'
 
Environment groups who have long bemoaned the slow pace of development on wave and tidal power endorsed the committee's recommendations.

"This report is a great reminder of the massive potential of marine renewables in the UK," said Nick Molho, head of energy policy at WWF-UK.

"Investment certainty holds the key to reducing the costs of marine renewable and creating jobs; the government would be mad to miss this boat."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change said the government welcomed the report and was studying its recommendations.

"We are fully committed to spurring on the growth of this industry and have already taken great strides to make this happen," she said.

Source: BBC News

North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) could face a £100,000 bill to oppose the appeal that has been lodged by Warwick Energy, after the council rejected its plan for miles of underground cables for its Dudgeon windfarm.

But its members have been told that they do not have the money to fund the battle - nor the potential costs it could be liable for if the appeal was lost.

The cash dilemma could force NNDC to bring the plan back before members after they made their decision to turn down the plans last month.

The situation has sparked concerns among campaigners who are fighting Warwick Energy’s bid to build a sub-station for the windfarm on land at Little Dunham, near Dereham.

Paul Gardner, a member of Little Dunham Action Group, thought it would be “totally, totally” wrong if the cost implications forced NNDC to change its mind.

He said planning was a “democratic process, it can’t be governed by a local authority’s finance or lack of finance”.

“If it’s a democratic process and members reject it then the council is duty bound in my view to support that decision, whatever the cost,” he added.

The council’s planning committee went against officers’ recommendations in January when they threw out Warwick’s proposal to lay 28km of cable to power the 168-turbine windfarm off the coast at Cromer.

The green energy firm lodged an appeal, which is set to be heard during a six-day public enquiry in the spring.

But to fight its corner NNDC will have to stump up the estimated six-figure sum to bring in a team of experts as its officers cannot support the reasons for refusal, as they recommended the plans.

The authority could also be hit with the extra bill for costs, which Warwick could seek to claim if NNDC cannot produce evidence to “substantiate” its reasons for refusal.

The financial implications are set to be discussed at the authority’s full council meeting on Wednesday where 2012/13s budget is due to be passed.

Helen Eales, NNDC leader, said if members decide to set aside the money needed for the appeal the financial effects will be felt for years to come.

“It will affect the next year’s (budget) and the following year,” she added. “And £100,000 is equivalent to about 2.5pc on council tax so we’re very concerned of the effects this could have if the council decides we have to put the money aside.”

Cabinet member Trevor Ivory said the council was now in a “rare” position but it had faced a similar situation during the Sheringham Tesco planning saga.

In July 2008 NNDC went up against the supermarket giant at an inquiry after members went against officers’ recommendations and turned down an application. Independent experts represented the council and won, but the chain went on to submit new plans which were passed in 2010.

Warwick’s plans to lay cables from Weybourne to Great Ryburgh have been on the cards since July 2010, but been deferred several times to allow further discussions about the project including the power lines’ precise route and the impact they could have on tourism and agriculture.

When they were finally discussed last month an initial vote to pass them was turned down by a majority of 9:3. A proposal to turn them down - on landscape and agricultural economy grounds - was passed by 7:5.

Mr Ivory said planning members would not have considered any cost issues when making their decision, as their votes must be based on planning grounds.

He added: “The issue for full council (on Wednesday) is not in any way to question whether they made the right or wrong decision. The issue for council is...that the applicant has now lodged an appeal and that appeal is going to be a very expensive thing for us to defend.

“The estimate being given is £100,000 - that isn’t in our budget for next year”

If full council decides not to set aside the cash the planning committee will have to decide how it wants to defend its position, which Mr Ivory said was the “fundamental” question.

The cable appeal is the second planning battle Warwick is facing as it is currently pushing through proposals in the high court to build a sub-station at Little Dunham, which would provide the turbines’ link to the National Grid, after plans to build the structure were turned down in 2010.

The firm has been given permission to lay 17km of cables in the Breckland district that would link the north Norfolk lines to the sub-station.

Source: Eastern Daily Press

Source: www.offshorewind.biz

The East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) predicts at least £50bn of business opportunity within 70 miles of Great Yarmouth in the next 20 years – with the biggest industries in gas exploration, production and decommissioning, offshore wind and nuclear energy at Sizewell.

A 2010 East of England Development Agency report highlighted that the region’s low carbon and environment goods and services sector accounted for 10pc of the British market, with a turnover of £12.9bn and 6,200 companies which were active in the sectors employing 103,400 people.

For 45 years, the offshore gas industry has quietly worked off Norfolk and Suffolk and while wind and other renewable industries now dominate headlines, the gas industry in Norfolk is still very much alive – albeit in a different form to 45 years ago, when field yields were high.

John Westwood, chairman of energy research group Douglas Westwood, is chairing Thursday’s Southern North Sea conference. His company advises industry, banking and governments worldwide.

He, said: “The UK Southern North Sea has been producing for the past 40 years and as a mature province output is steadily in decline. But key production hubs such as the Caister-Murdoch System operated by ConocoPhillips remain important.”

Far from – as some predicted – dying out, as bigger companies have moved out and divested a number of Southern North Sea assets, new and smaller companies are taking up more assets and acreage.

New technology is allowing them to reach pockets of gas which had been too hard and too expensive to reach.

French-owned energy firm Perenco – which has a base in Great Yarmouth – last year said it had successfully completed the testing of a new well near its Leman platform, which connects into Bacton gas terminal. This may lead to further drilling.

John Sewell, Perenco UK’s operations manager based in Great Yarmouth, said: “SNS gas will contin-ue to make a significant contribution to the UK’s energy requirements for the medium to long term.

“This is also very good news for the East of England, where Perenco has its main operations base and spends a significant proportion of its operating and capital budget with local services companies.”

Although put on the back burner because of market conditions, Centrica has said it still believes a joint gas storage project with Perenco UK – predicted by EEEGR to cost around £1bn – is an attractive investment option.

The companies could store natural gas in an existing offshore reservoir, some 86km from the North Norfolk coastline. During times of low demand, gas would be pumped offshore from the National Transmission System via new facilities to be installed within the Perenco UK Terminal at Bacton and during peak demand, the gas would then be transported back into the grid via the new facilities within the Perenco UK Terminal.

Great Yarmouth-based Seajacks’ managing director Blair Ainslie – who is sponsoring the conference –agrees that gas is still a key resource for the region.

“People are still finding pockets of gas,” he said.

But as more than 150 platforms in the sea near Norfolk do come to the end of their lives, decommissioning will become big business.

A recent Deloitte and Douglas Westwood report estimated that around £47.5bn of business opportunity was opening up in decommissioning the North Sea’s huge oil and gas infrastructure.

With more than 150 Southern North Sea platforms, EEEGR estimates that there will be £4bn to £6bn of work in the Eastern Region over the next 20 years. That’s not to mention contracts that companies in this region with the right skills in the whole Southern North Sea can go for.

But EEEGR chief executive John Best believes wind will be a big part of the region’s energy future.

He said: “In essence, wind is the future. There’s future expansion. Some of the big expenditure in wind will be the cost of equipment, but there is still a big pay out in terms of the installation and maintenance.”

Despite concerns about the cost ?and reliability, there has been seismic growth in the offshore wind industry and there has been a view that the skills from gas will be transferred.

Sheringham Shoal continues to be built and the Crown Estates third round has been awarded.

The company awarded the East Anglia round three area, East Anglia Offshore Wind, is expecting to submit a planning application this year.

The company would not be drawn on how much the project will cost or the number of people involved, but it is publically in talks with Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft ports after signing a memorandum of understanding to install and service the windfarms.

With low carbon targets to be met the government looks determined to stay its course on offshore wind, but it is expensive and there are concerns about the level of subsidy in such a new industry. There is a strong lobby against the scale of its expansion, including from Conservative MPs.

John Constable, director of charity the Renewable Energy Foundation which compiles data on the renewables industry, said: “The scale of pace of wind development is reckless. It is just not realistic.”

He said there were high operations and maintenance costs, but that was expected because of the artificial pace of growth.

He said the charity had published a report which calculated that wind would be subsidised to the tune of £8bn a year in 2020 rising to £15bn with the grid system management.

But Mr Ainslie defended the costs of the industry and said Norfolk was perfectly placed for Round Three.

He said: “People talk about the costs of offshore wind. When you talk about costs that’s the combination of the price and the efficiency. It is not just the price that’s the problem, it is the efficiency that’s the problem. We are still in the early days of the development of the industry. If you ask people in the oil and gas sector in the 1970s, they had a lot of over-runs and mistakes. We will learn and the efficiency will improve. There are some good examples of projects that have been successful.”

While large-scale gas and wind projects can be roughly calculated, the region is also perfectly placed for other developing industries such as marine and coal gasification.

Mr Best said the most important thing was the region’s energy mix.

The whole understanding of a balanced energy mix had changed because 20pc of our energy generation is due to go off-line, he said.

That includes gas, coal and nuclear.

“We are going to have to have another 20pc of generation. In rebuilding our energy infrastructure, the East of England must be the perfect location because of the low carbon mixture of gas, nuclear and offshore wind. Offshore wind will be pushed very hard because of statutory targets. It is not a whim any more.”

He said it was important for the government to provide confidence and security for long term investors.

And he added: “With the work we are doing on skills, we are all making sure we can create our indigenous workforce. We will be able to take that expertise globally.”

Source: Eastern Daily Press

When the latest generation of schoolchildren grow up the energy industry wants them to be engineers, project managers, geologists and technicians.

The established view that the industry is lacking the skills needed from this area has been confirmed in a new report out this week.

The Skills for Energy partnership commissioned report, Meeting the Energy Challenge, concluded that, at present, there are persistent skills shortages across the sector in ?most engineering disciplines from highly qualified engineers and experienced technicians to project managers with qualifications in engineering and more specialised areas such as geology, marine engineering and aeronautical engineering.

But it is not only the engineering skills. The report said more generic skills are needed in project management and business development skills are in demand.

Setting out on a career in energy

Callum Leech, pictured above, was one of the first students to join the Lowestoft College Energy Skills Foundation Programme.

[Pictured: Energy Skills Foundation Programme award winners (left to right) Adam Crinnion (best project), Callum Leech (student of the year) and Leigh Yorke (highly commended)]

The 19-year-old from Hopton completed the course and is now doing further training in operations and maintenance at the college on an ECITB course which will finish in June.

“Most of my family work in the energy sector,” he said. “It has given me the experience to find out what is there. I am looking to go towards offshore work as most of my family work offshore.”

Sean Largey, 18, has gone down the same route. He was given a leaflet about possible courses at the college at school.

“I did not know much about the industry and I thought it would be great to learn about it and learn about what was going on.”

He said that his first choice would be working offshore in gas and oil, but he realised that wind was an up and coming industry.

He said that he saw it as a long-term career path because of new oil and gas fields being found.

“If the opportunity arises, I would do future training and the company would like me to do it, I would definitely do extra training.”

Getting our act together, the report concludes, is critical to the region’s competitiveness, and will directly impact on it maintaining its current position as a significant energy hub.

So what is to be done?

Since 2007 this region has been piloting the Skills for Energy, which is a partnership between leading energy sector bosses, their direct supply chain together with training providers, schools, colleges, universities and the wider academic and skills sector and the public sector.

Head of UK operations at Perenco UK John Sewell, who is on the Skills for Energy board, said: “There is no doubt in my mind that for the next 15 to 20 years at least there is going to be a skills shortage.”

But he said: “We certainly think we are going in the right direction working with Skills for Energy and trying to get new talent into the region.”

Progress has been made. The Energy Skills Foundation Programme – a 12-month structured training programme which is an NVQ pre-apprenticeship course – is now in its third year at Lowestoft College giving students basic skills and a knowledge of the industry at an early age and the course is now being rolled out nationally.

Of the 21 students who have completed the course, all but one are in employment or further training. A further 16 are on the course this year.

Ferlin Quantrill, head of engineering at Lowestoft College, said: “There are plenty of opportunities and everybody is talking about the energy industry.

“This particular area seems to have a good share of it with oil, gas, wind and nuclear. We are well positioned and the college is geared up for it.”

At the other end of the spectrum the University of East Anglia, which currently has its first cohort of MSc energy engineering students, has recently approved a BEng three-year degree and MEng four-year course in energy engineering with environmental management.

And it is not just the schools and colleges that are working hard.

As well as targeting those about to set out on their career, work is being done in the region to attract former Armed Forces personnel.

Kip Morton, who has set up the company Forces4Energy to help former military personnel get into the energy sector, said: “We all know there is a skills gap and lots of companies are looking for people who can hit the ground running.

“The military guys have a high base level of skills and the discipline and experience of working in an engineering environment can easily adapt.

“It is not being used by employers as there is a problem with comprehension between what the military guys do and how they use them.

“We explain what the guys do and how they do it. When we talk plain English to the employers they realise the guys have a lot more to offer,” he said.

Plans are also being finalised for a new Energy Production Innovation and Skills Centre (EPIS) which has been supported by many industry heads.

The centre will allow regionally based small and medium sized businesses to develop their skills and capabilities.

The plan is that the new building will provide physical infrastructure, networks, facilities and equipment that is needed for training.

Mr Sewell said that as well as fully supporting the Skills for Energy programme Perenco itself had apprentices, was working with universities to provide year long undergraduate placements and is also running a post graduate training scheme.

But, Mr Sewell said: “I do not think there will ever be as much as we need to do being done.”

He said although the government was making a step in the right direction there needed to be more apprenticeship schemes.

“We are going in the right direction but there is always more to do. We have got to do more in the schools and educate both teachers and pupils about what the energy industry is about and the great opportunities there are in the industry.

“We haven’t been great at that and we are still not hitting all the right buttons.”

Celia Anderson, executive director at the East of England Energy Group who is leading the Skills for Energy programme said: “We have a single opportunity to exploit the huge opportunities ahead of us.

“The industry in the region wants to remain as a major generator and supplier of energy within UK and play a significant role on the world stage.

“This could be a period of the biggest growth that this area has ever seen. To support this we need to raise the ability of the local people to be the source of the skills, to be the first point of call when the companies are looking to develop and expand the workforce. That way we will ensure we maximise the economic benefits to the region. Otherwise, the business and the businesses will simply go elsewhere.”

She added that the most exciting conclusion of the work was that the industry believed it needed a body like Skills For Energy to be able to make this happen.

“With the third cohort of Energy Skills Foundation apprentices going through Lowestoft College, the first post graduates completing the MSc at UEA and recruitment starting for the bachelors and masters energy engineering programmes in 2013, a steady flow of people from the military, we are making progress.

“The EPISCentre will provide the focal point for the future industry training and an essential part of the education and training infrastructure.”

She said the next big area of focus was to establish an apprenticeship training agency to remove many of the barriers to companies wanting to take on apprentices both commercial and technical.

“We are working with Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex County Councils to improve the engagement with and support for schools through platforms such as U-Explore,” she said.

There is plenty of work to be done and many roles to be filled, but a pioneering industry-led body to address the issue.

What is clear is there are great opportunities and a buzz around the energy industry and the opportunities are there to be seized by the next generation.

Tomorrow the EDP will be looking at the potential for businesses to become part of the energy industry supply chain and what is being done to help them.

Sit in a bar in the region for long enough and you will hear complaints that local people are missing out on the energy riches with foreign companies taking jobs and profit.

Yes, foreign companies are operating – and where skills are missing they import workers with experience – but what is often forgotten is there are many ambitious, innovative and successful Norfolk and Suffolk-born companies working not only on our coastline, but also around the world.

But with a potential £50bn of projects – at least – in the pipeline there is more to be done to develop our indigenous supply chain and experts say it is not just preferable, but vital.

A new energy supply chain strategy document for Norfolk and Suffolk has warned: “Lack of existence (or mainly a lack of awareness and expansive capacity) of engineering and manufacturing capability will also hinder industry and may deter businesses from entering the region, choosing other areas with better understood supply chains instead.”

So what can be done?

Jonathan Reynolds, business development director at Orbis Energy and author of the supply chain report, believes businesses can take advantage of opportunities but must act now to be prepared for the big contracts.

“These companies are not going to wait around for us to get our act together. We have got to act now to support the future,” he said.

And that includes development of the supply chain.

“It is challenging to engage small companies to employ lots of people, extend facilities when they haven’t won contracts. They cannot afford to invest in those facilities until they have work in the order book. It is a challenge to educate and raise awareness in advance of potential contracts.”

He said companies should be trying to win existing contracts elsewhere in the UK and Europe to build their capabilities so they can take advantage of potential projects like Sizewell C.

“Energy is a global industry,” he said. “What we are looking at is how we establish that capability in Norfolk and Suffolk.”

Ann Steward, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for economic development, said the difficulty many firms faced was uncertainty, with many of the major operators having not yet made decisions.

But she said many of the companies were active in the oil and gas sector.

“For most of them it will be a nice bonus and when it comes along they will adapt their capacity. This is not an industry waiting for these opportunities to come along,” she said.

But she said the scale of the round three windfarm plans were bigger than anything that had been done before.

“I keep hearing there aren’t enough ships in existence and not enough people, but it is not all needed tomorrow. The industry is gearing itself up for the opportunities.

“It is such a big opportunity. The playing field has been levelled again.”

The East of England Energy Group has won European money to help small and medium sized businesses to take advantage of the potential energy boom.

Eeegr will be rolling out the programme – part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – to promote the region’s businesses and seize opportunities to help improve the supply chain in this part of the world.

Businesses across the low carbon energy industries in the East of England, including gas, renewables and nuclear, will be able to take part in conferences and promotion events, business to business networking and the money will also help them to access market information.

Innovation centre Orbis Energy holds a database of more than 9,000 businesses based in Norfolk and Suffolk. Of these, 1,688 companies have been identified with the existing or potential capability and/or capacity to operate within the energy sectors.

These businesses range from specialist companies with the potential to supply to local industries, to those already offering services to the global energy industry. This number represents 19pc of the two counties’ total number of businesses.

And these numbers do not take into account business categories such as catering companies and hotels which also have the potential to offer services to the industry.

But as well as engineering capabilities, there are also opportunities for companies which may not seem directly involved with installation, operations and maintenance.

Norwich-based solicitors Howes Percival have recently gained new clients in the energy sector and have recruited lawyer Nicola Butterworth, who has previously advised companies operating in the sector, when based in Scotland.

Andrew Barnes, managing partner, said “The region’s energy industry is very special – it really is developing into a global focal point in the sector. Four of us attended all the days of the Offshore Europe Conference in Aberdeen last September and it was terrific to see the strong influence that the East of England has upon the industry worldwide. It is clear that there are many exciting opportunities for those businesses in the supply chain who have a real commitment to the energy sector and to the Region.

“While energy companies have many of the same needs as any other organisation, there are specific requirements and key differences which suppliers need to be aware of and to be able to service with specialist staff. Also, rapidly growing companies tend to generate very different types of needs. Consequently, you have to combine sector knowledge with your own expertise and business development insight to add real value to the industry.”

Currently Scira and Statoil, the companies behind the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm have said they are keen on establishing good relationships with local suppliers.

And Wells harbour has also got a new lease of life.

Harbourmaster Robert Smith said: “The harbour commissioners have been supporters of Scira’s offshore plans from the start because we have been aware of their objective for the operations to benefit the local town’s people and businesses. It is great that what was initially promised is now becoming a reality. From our side, Wells harbour is now operating commercially again as well as being a leisure port with many local jobs being created.”

Yes, there are contracts which local companies do not have the capability for, but it can be done and the message is that firms must start thinking now if they are to be in a position to win contracts in the future.

As the eyes of the energy industry turn to Norwich for the Southern North Sea conference tomorrow, the EDP will have an exclusive interview with energy industry figure and former BP chairman Lord Browne.

The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) staged an interactive conference to highlight the opportunities represented by the “green economy” and to seek input from businesses on how barriers to improvement and investment can be overcome.

New Anglia, which covers Suffolk and Norfolk, was last year chosen by the Government as its “Green Economy Pathfinder” to development a strategy capable of leading the way for other LEPs around the country.

The conference, held at Dunston Hall, near Norwich, was supported by the Environment Agency and the Suffolk and Norfolk chambers of commerce, and chaired by Mark Pendlington, group director at Anglian Water and chairman of the New Anglia Green Economy Pathfinder board.

Andy Wood, chief executive of Adnams and chairman of the New Anglia LEP, said the past two decades had seen a great deal of talk over climate change and carbon reduction but with little progress being achieved.

The Green Economy Pathfinder project aimed to be a ground-breaking initiative setting out changes capable of quick implementation.

Adnams as a company had found its low carbon strategies “hugely beneficial” in business terms, he said, and he believed the same could be achieve for the regional economy as a whole.

Keynote speakers included Peter Unwin, director general at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), Paul Aldous, MP for Waveney, and Harvey Bradshaw, head of regulated industry at the Environment Agency.

Guests at the conference were also able to take part in a serious of round-table discussions, in order to provide their own input to a “manifesto” document which will set out proposals for the region.

Mr Unwin said that, under the coalition government, supporting growth was a priority for all departments. Defra recognised that natural resources were under increasing pressure and that this could stifle future growth if not addressed.

The New Anglia region had huge potential in terms of farmland, landscape and tourism, but also faced major challenges such as pressure on water resources, food production and housing.

Defra had been highly impressed by the New Anglia LEP’s Green Economy Pathfinder bid, and hoped the results would not only assist the region in its future development but would be an example of best practice for other parts of the country to follow.

Mr Bradshaw assured businesses that the Environment Agency was seeking to be a “Yes, if” organisation, which enabled businesses to overcome barriers.

The agency was adopting a more sectoral approach in order to improve its own expertise, basing its fees and charges more on risk, with an incentive for businesses to perform well, and seeking to reward good performance.

Guidance for businesses was also being streamlined in order to make it more accessible.

Mr Aldous said the Government needed to set an agenda which encouraged the private sector to make the investment necessary to drive the transition to a green economy.

Investment needs included improvements in rail infrastructure, both on the London main line and on branches, and the provision of superfast broadband.

However, the most important issue was that of people, and equipping the region’s workforce with the skills needed to take advantage of the opportunities represented by the green economy, he added.

Last month, North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) decided it did not have the money required to fight an appeal by Warwick against its earlier decision to refuse permission for the cabling across its patch.

And on Thursday, the council’s development committee is being recommended to not defend the looming appeal and to “invite the inspector to grant planning permission”.

The change of heart has arisen because the decision to refuse permission for the cables went against the planning officers’ recommendation.

It means the officers could not defend the council at appeal - leaving members to do it and “very significantly” increasing the possibility of defeat and six-figure costs against NNDC, according to advice from counsel.

Breckland District Council has already allowed a similar application for 17km of cabling in its area, which would link the Dudgeon windfarm to a planned sub-station in the Dereham area.

Last month’s decision by NNDC to not pay to defend an appeal by Warwick was attacked in the immediate aftermath by councillor and local businessman Michael Baker, who voted to reject the cabling application.

He said: “The decision at full council was a sad day for democracy. The development committee decision was democratic and we have been told ‘this is not the answer we want: go back and think again’.”

But Mark Petterson, project director for Warwick, said: “You could argue the silent majority are finally getting their say. It’s not as if this area is unknown to this type of project. You have got an established underground cable route from Sheringham Shoal, which has gone in without a problem.”

Warwick has claimed the 168-turbine farm would generate enough electricity to power 400,000 homes.

Source: Eastern Daily Press

Yes, foreign companies are operating  – and where skills are missing they import workers with experience – but what is often forgotten is there are many ambitious, innovative and successful Norfolk and Suffolk-born companies working not only on our coastline, but also around the world.

But with a potential £50bn of projects – at least – in the pipeline there is more to be done to develop our indigenous supply chain and experts say it is not just preferable, but vital.

A new energy supply chain strategy document for Norfolk and Suffolk has warned: “Lack of existence (or mainly a lack of awareness and expansive capacity) of engineering and manufacturing capability will also hinder industry and may deter businesses from entering the region, choosing other areas with better understood supply chains instead.”

So what can be done?

Jonathan Reynolds, business development director at Orbis Energy and author of the supply chain report, believes businesses can take advantage of opportunities but must act now to be prepared for the big contracts.

“These companies are not going to wait around for us to get our act together. We have got to act now to support the future,” he said.

And that includes development of the supply chain.

“It is challenging to engage small companies to employ lots of people, extend facilities when they haven’t won contracts. They cannot afford to invest in those facilities until they have work in the order book. It is a challenge to educate and raise awareness in advance of potential contracts.”

He said companies should be trying to win existing contracts elsewhere in the UK and Europe to build their capabilities so they can take advantage of potential projects like Sizewell C.

“Energy is a global industry,” he said. “What we are looking at is how we establish that capability in Norfolk and Suffolk.”

Ann Steward, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for economic development, said the difficulty many firms faced was uncertainty, with many of the major operators having not yet made decisions.

But she said many of the companies were active in the oil and gas sector.

“For most of them it will be a nice bonus and when it comes along they will adapt their capacity. This is not an industry waiting for these opportunities to come along,” she said.

But she said the scale of the round three windfarm plans were bigger than anything that had been done before.

“I keep hearing there aren’t enough ships in existence and not enough people, but it is not all needed tomorrow. The industry is gearing itself up for the opportunities.

“It is such a big opportunity. The playing field has been levelled again.”

The East of England Energy Group has won European money to help small and medium sized businesses to take advantage of the potential energy boom.

Eeegr will be rolling out the programme – part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – to promote the region’s businesses and seize opportunities to help improve the supply chain in this part of the world.

Businesses across the low carbon energy industries in the East of England, including gas, renewables and nuclear, will be able to take part in conferences and promotion events, business to business networking and the money will also help them to access market information.

Innovation centre Orbis Energy holds a database of more than 9,000 businesses based in Norfolk and Suffolk. Of these, 1,688 companies have been identified with the existing or potential capability and/or capacity to operate within the energy sectors.

These businesses range from specialist companies with the potential to supply to local industries, to those already offering services to the global energy industry. This number represents 19pc of the two counties’ total number of businesses.

And these numbers do not take into account business categories such as catering companies and hotels which also have the potential to offer services to the industry.

But as well as engineering capabilities, there are also opportunities for companies which may not seem directly involved with installation, operations and maintenance.

Norwich-based solicitors Howes Percival have recently gained new clients in the energy sector and have recruited lawyer Nicola Butterworth, who has previously advised companies operating in the sector, when based in Scotland.

Andrew Barnes, managing partner, said “The region’s energy industry is very special – it really is developing into a global focal point in the sector.  Four of us attended all the days of the Offshore Europe Conference in Aberdeen last September and it was terrific to see the strong influence that the East of England has upon the industry worldwide.  It is clear that there are many exciting opportunities for those businesses in the supply chain who have a real commitment to the energy sector and to the Region.

“While energy companies have many of the same needs as any other organisation, there are specific requirements and key differences which suppliers need to be aware of and to be able to service with specialist staff. Also, rapidly growing companies tend to generate very different types of needs. Consequently, you have to combine sector knowledge with your own expertise and business development insight to add real value to the industry.” 

Currently Scira and Statoil, the companies behind the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm have said they are keen on establishing good relationships with local suppliers.

And Wells harbour has also got a new lease of life.

Harbourmaster Robert Smith said: “The harbour commissioners have been supporters of Scira’s offshore plans from the start because we have been aware of their objective for the operations to benefit the local town’s people and businesses. It is great that what was initially promised is now becoming a reality. From our side, Wells harbour is now operating commercially again as well as being a leisure port with many local jobs being created.”

Yes, there are contracts which local companies do not have the capability for, but it can be done and the message is that firms must start thinking now if they are to be in a position to win contracts in the future.

As the eyes of the energy industry turn to Norwich for the Southern North Sea conference tomorrow, the EDP will have an exclusive interview with energy industry figure and former BP chairman Lord Browne.

For more details on the competition, see the brief. There will be a briefing event on 14th March in London, Edinburgh and via webinar.  We strongly advise you to attend one of these if you are considering applying.  You can register for the briefing here.

Source: Offshorewind.biz

Download the report here

The scope and scale of planned developments in the region’s energy sector, means that companies across Norfolk and Suffolk are presented with a host of new business opportunities. The benefits could be enormous, promoting economic growth, creating thousands of new jobs and securing many existing positions in high value low carbon sectors which already employ 19,000 people, in some 1100 companies across the two counties.

The report outlines the current energy generation mix, presents the future energy opportunities and assesses the capability of businesses to realise the economic benefits on offer. It goes on to say that greater levels of support and guidance are essential, so that companies are aware of the emerging opportunities in the energy sector and know how to access them.

With energy across the two counties generated roughly equally from renewables, natural gas and nuclear, there is a strong platform on which to build.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance, a public and private sector coalition of Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, Great Yarmouth Borough, North Norfolk and Waveney District Councils, Norfolk and Suffolk Chambers of Commerce, EEEGR and New Anglia LEP, are working collaboratively in driving growth and development to maximise the potential for the two counties in the rapidly growing energy industry.

Judy Terry, Portfolio Holder for the Economy, Skills and Greenest County at Suffolk County Council, said: "The energy industry in our two counties offers such significant opportunities for businesses.

“We are already positioning Norfolk and Suffolk as key drivers for the UK’s green economy building on the area’s rich history in offshore operations, innovation and technology, coupled with world class credentials in automotive design, engineering and manufacturing which give us a unique offering.”
Ann Steward, Cabinet member for Economic Development on Norfolk County Council, said "It is hard to overstate the importance of the energy industry in our two counties. It has helped us withstand some of the effects of the economic downturn over the past few years and it now appears ready to ensure it can exploit the anticipated benefits of the £billions that will be invested over the next 10 years. We have a wealth of world class expertise that is renowned the world over, with a reputation for innovative technology and engineering.We also have a diverse local supply chain, ready to adapt. This is a combination that nowhere else can match"

John Best, Chief Executive of EEEGR, said: "Nowhere in the UK has a broader energy mix or provides as much business potential as Norfolk and Suffolk.”

“The area’s offshore gas industry is still growing after 50 years and the region sits at the heart of the world’s largest market for offshore wind. Nuclear power facilities are being decommissioned, Sizewell B is operating with its licence through to 2035 being the longest in the UK and a new site is planned for development. With a growing bio-fuels market and plans for the storage of gas and captured carbon in the Southern North Sea, the area has an energy business worth billions.”

The report identifies that limited levels of manufacturing and engineering capability, in terms of key component manufacture and construction, is a key weakness of the UK supply chain across the energy industry and its sub-sectors.

In response to this challenge, the Enterprise Zone for Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft will play a key role in stimulating investment in new facilities and business growth. This is further enhanced with the announcement in December that the two towns are one of only five Centres of Offshore Renewable Engineering, ensuring enhanced support from Government to attract key engineering manufacturing businesses to setup and locate in the area.

Chris Starkie, Chief Executive of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "Given our close proximity to the offshore energy markets, and the breadth of experience within our business community, it’s no surprise that energy is one of our two top priorities for economic growth, along with the tourism sectors.

“With more than £271 billion pounds worth of new business prospects across the UK, of which over £30bn are projects within Norfolk and Suffolk over the next 10 years, there are significant opportunities that we must ensure we are ready to deliver on.”

The report forms the basis of a detailed implementation plan which brings together a wide range of partners who will secure appropriate resource and deliver support to Norfolk and Suffolk businesses to maximise their potential and secure long term low carbon economic growth.

[RIGHT: Architects impression of Sheringham Shoal courtesy of LSI Architects]

Bank lending is by far the largest source of external finance currently used by businesses, but the Taskforce believes there is significant potential to
develop both the demand and supply of non-bank lending to match the financial landscape of countries like the US.

The main recommendations from the Taskforce’s report to Business Secretary Vince Cable are:

• Increase awareness of alternative financing by creating a single brand and a single business support agency to deliver the Government's range of SME finance programmes, drawing on international examples such as Germany's KfW.
• Industry to establish a Business Finance Advice network, comprising the main accountancy bodies.
• Open up access to capital markets financing for smaller companies through the creation of a body to bundle and securitise SME loans.
• Consider the potential for the Government's Business Finance Partnership to invest in innovative products such as mezzanine loan funds and peer to peer lending.
• Encourage large businesses to support smaller companies by reinforcing prompt payment practices, supporting greater use of invoice discounting and utilising supply chain financing to invest in smaller suppliers.
• Government and industry to review the impact of international prudential regulation such as bank and insurance capital rules on the supply of SME finance.
• Increase the UK retail investor appetite for corporate bonds.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “We need to reshape the UK’s finance landscape to better serve the needs of ordinary businesses, helping more companies find the support they need to start and grow.

“Tim Breedon’s Taskforce has brought together industry, investors and advisers to provide evidence and ideas on increasing the range of finance sources available to small businesses. I thank them for their hard work and detailed recommendations, and I hope this will represent a turning point in business finance in this country.”

Tim Breedon, Chairman of the non-bank lending Taskforce, said: “There is compelling evidence that access to finance is expected to become more acute as business confidence and growth returns, whilst continuing bank deleveraging is likely to leave a significant funding shortfall.

“Whilst there is no silver bullet to addressing this issue, we have made a number of recommendations which I believe will collectively help open up alternative financing channels for UK SMEs.”

John Walker, National Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said: “We very much welcome this report as the recommendations chime closely with changes the FSB has called for to open up finance for small businesses. Bold action needs to be taken to ensure a behavioural shift so that small firms know what alternatives to bank finance are available.

“Putting the Government’s financial products under one umbrella organisation and looking at a pilot SME bond scheme, as well as learning what works well in other countries is a good step forward and we urge the Government to take forward the recommendations as soon as possible.”

The report anticipates growth in demand for finance as the economy recovers, and the expected constraint on availability from banks as they deleverage could create a finance gap for businesses of £84 billion to £191 billion over the next five years.

The Taskforce’s recommendations on increasing the supply and take-up of alternative sources of finance are aimed at closing this gap.

The Government will now review the recommendations presented by the Taskforce and announce its response shortly.

The full report can be accessed at http://www.bis.gov.uk/businessfinance

Construction on the site could now begin by the end of April, with energisation during autumn 2012.

Once operational, the two 2.5MW wind turbines will supply green electricity direct to Roy Humphrey Group’s estate for the next 25 years and could generate up to 80% of their electricity needs.

The project was the vision of local business entrepreneur Carl Humphrey who is keen to reduce carbon emissions from the 88-acre site, and ensure the family’s motoring business is more sustainable. As well as providing green energy, the turbines will allow the business to fix their electricity costs for the long-term.

In achieving financial close, a turbine supply agreement has been signed with wind turbine manufacturer Nordex, with the sale of the project to Triodos Renewables and funding from Triodos Bank.

Frances Karki, Chief Operating Officer for Wind Direct said:
“These turbines will stand as a clear symbol of Roy Humphrey Group’s commitment to reducing their impact on the environment. Achieving financial close on the project is the culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work by our development, construction and commercial teams. It is exciting that the project will now enter the construction phase.”

Carl Humphrey from Roy Humphrey Group said:
 “For four decades we have been at the forefront of the motoring and transport industry. Now we are leading the way by bringing in a modern form of power generation to supply not just Roy Humphrey (Car and Commercial) but many other businesses on our site. With all of the commercial agreements in place we look forward to Wind Direct commencing construction and bringing the wind project online later this year.”

Matthew Clayton, Director for Triodos Renewables said:
 “Triodos Renewables is delighted to have worked with the Roy Humphrey Group and Wind Direct to acquire this wind project, and we are very much looking forward to working with them throughout the construction and operation of the project. The addition of this project increases our sustainable energy capacity by 13% to 42MW. The ‘brown field’ nature of the site fits well with our strategy to develop sensitively sited sustainable energy. We are also pleased to have attracted finance from Triodos Bank to help fund the project.”

Suffolk County Council stated their aim in 2007 to become the greenest county in the UK and the Roy Humphrey Group project helps them move a step closer to achieving this goal. In addition to the green benefits, the scheme will also provide £5,000 per year towards community projects. The fund will be available once the turbines begin generating and will be administered through Mid Suffolk District Council.

Source: Wind Direct

Source: www.bizeast.com

The deal - for an undisclosed sum - will see ownership of the company transfer from former BP chief executive Lord Browne’s Riverstone Holdings LLC to one of the largest Japanese trading companies Marubeni Coporation and government-backed private equity firm Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ).

Seajacks managing director Blair Ainslie said the deal would allow the company to expand its fleet of jack-up vessels.

He said: ““I am delighted that this transaction has been agreed. This is a logical step forward for Seajacks, and great news for our loyal staff and for our valued customers. With Marubeni and INCJ as our owners, we will be able to expand our fleet and consolidate our position as one of the leading turnkey offshore energy service companies in Europe. We expect to announce the commencement of construction of new vessels in the very near future to take advantage of the significant business opportunities we are seeing.”

Lord Browne said he was very proud of the fleet which the Seajacks management team has assembled and the value the company has created for its investors while meeting the needs of the fast-moving offshore renewable energy industry in Europe.

Source: Eastern Daily Press

Two studies, produced by Norfolk watercolourist John Hurst are on display at the renewable energy hub OrbisEnergy depicting the jackup vessel GMS Endeavour as it lifts a turbine blade into place at the developing Sheringham Shoal Offshore Windfarm.

Mr Hurst’s paintings are maritime studies commissioned by the wind farm’s developers Scira Offshore Energy, proceeds from which also support Wells Harbour Maritime Trust. Founded by Wells Harbour Master Robert Smith, this charity has been developed to fund maritime activities, education and training for young people.

Liz Hancock, HR & Communication Manager for Scira’s Sheringham Shoal development says of the watercolour commissions: “Renewable energy is now part and parcel of the region’s landscape and John’s project interprets the evolution of man’s relationship with the environment. His depiction of an offshore wind turbine installation in watercolour is a world first.”

With a career spanning 35 years, Mr Hurst has a wide patron base and has produced commissions for Sir Ian Botham, the Earl and Countess of Yarborough, and internationally, the World Methodist Council in North Carolina, USA. 

His brief from Scira was to produce maritime and environmental heritage studies, focussing on modern technology: “I wasn’t sure at first, if and how it could work, but it struck me that it was important to take maritime engineering and apply a creative slant” said Mr Hurst.

Restricted tidal access meant that the artist’s voyage to Sheringham Shoal to capture the subject of his paintings required a 4.30am start and 15 hours on board an offshore personnel transfer vessel: “As soon as I got to the vessel I underwent a safety induction session and was really impressed with Scira’s level of safety. I soon realised how much the weather can affect the turbine installation process because although it was calm, there was a slight breeze which meant it wasn’t until late afternoon that the crane was finally able to lift the blade to the turbine. I then managed to secure the view point I needed for my study.”

The two prints have been gifted to OrbisEnergy by Scira and are now on permanent display in the building. They are available in print format and as greeting cards with proceeds from sales going to the Wells Maritime Trust.

Rebecca Murphy, Senior Coordinator at OrbisEnergy said:  “It’s very fitting to have these watercolour studies in residence here and it’s particularly fascinating to see industrial turbine equipment presented in such a creative and human way. We’re familiar in this industry with photographic images and videos of offshore turbines, but Mr Hurst’s paintings offer a completely different perspective. We’re delighted to be housing them here.”

John’s paintings can be found at www.marshlandarts.co.uk.

Measures to strengthen supply chains and reduce the
burden of regulation were announced by the Business Secretary Vince Cable today.

Joint venture between ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) and Vattenfall Wind Power Limited plans to develop one part of the 7,200MW project.

The East Anglia ONE Offshore Windfarm, located 43.4km from the coast will consist of 325 wind turbines and cover an area of 300km2.

Up to three offshore collector stations and two offshore converter stations will collect the electricity from the turbines and transform it to a form, suitable for transfer to shore.

From the converter stations up to four seabed export cables, each around 73km in length, will be laid to transfer the electricity to shore.

On the shore, around four onshore underground cables, each of around 34km in length, with circa eight cable ducts for two future East Anglia projects will be laid to connect the wind farm to the grid.

Following early consultation about the project and its possible environmental effects with consultees, EAOW has made the following key decisions:

“To reduce visual impacts of the electrical transmission works, all onshore cables will be undergrounded and the offshore converter station will be located adjacent to the existing substation at Bramford.

In order to reduce impacts on marine mammals and fish, including impacts on a nearby herring spawning area, the use of monopolies [which were shown to give rise to the highest noise levels] as a wind turbine foundation option has been ruled out for the East Anglia One site.

To avoid effects on the commercially important Harwich and Felixstowe ports, the decision was taken to route the export cable away from the ports, dredged channels and anchorage areas.

As a result of the environmental designations and proposed flood management works, the width of the estuary and the unsuitable geology for cable installation, the decision was taken to avoid crossing the Orwell Estuary.”

If everything goes well, EAOW plans to submit an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the East Anglia ONE Offshore Windfarm at the end of 2012.

Source: www.offshorewind.biz

Marubeni is pleased to announce that on March 30, the project financing, utilizing Overseas Untied Loan Insurance provided by Nippon Export and Investment Insurance, was completed.

With this acquisition, Marubeni's total worldwide power generating capacity will come to 8,753 MW (net), including 450 MW of renewable energy assets.

Source: offshorewind.biz

The UK already has a world leading offshore wind programme, producing around 1.8 GW a year and has a project pipeline of over 8 GW set to be delivered in the near future. This presents a substantial opportunity for investment and the creation of new jobs. The timely development of an effective supply chain will be essential to realising the UK's ambitious offshore renewable energy targets.

Our position at the centre of the industry puts us in an ideal position to facilitate a series of events that provide a global view of the UK offshore wind programme, delve into the specific details of individual projects and enable networking through supply chain themed seminars and exhibitions. Key industry figures will come together to examine a range of supply chain components, from workforce skills and infrastructure, to the regulatory environment, which will together provide the building block for the offshore wind industry's deployment.

The 2012 UK dates are:

• Wales: Thursday 10 May, Llandudno;
• Northern Ireland: Tuesday 15 May, Belfast;
• England: Thursday 17 May, Newcastle,
• England: Thursday 31 May, Birmingham;
• Scotland: Thursday 24 May, All-Energy Day 2, Aberdeen.

The events are being delivered through partnerships between The Crown Estate, the UK Government and the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, enterprise agencies and renewable energy delivery bodies. A single region cannot deliver the requirements to support the scale of development alone; these events will create the strategic opportunity for local and regional companies to do business right across the UK.

Rob Hastings, Director of Energy and Infrastructure said: "This is a huge opportunity to play a role in providing new jobs, and inward investment to ensure that we remain the world leader in offshore wind deployment. We encourage businesses to attend from all sectors; the anticipated scope of manufacturing and job growth is akin to that of the oil and gas service industry and will offer opportunities both for businesses already in the sector as well as opportunities for those considering diversification."

Research by Renewable UK estimates that by 2020 UK wind industry jobs will total some 57,000.  The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) estimates that by 2020 the EU wind industry jobs will more than double from 154,000 to 325,000, which could lead to significant opportunities for the UK to export expertise internationally.

Further supply chain event details can be obtained from:

Wales - Della Pritchard, Welsh Government, della.pritchard@Wales.gsi.gov.uk

Northern Ireland - Sam Knox, Invest NI, sam.knox@investni.com

Scotland - Linda Gosden, Scottish Enterprise, linda.gosden@scotent.co.uk or Elain Cameron, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, elain.cameron@hient.co.uk

England (Newcastle) - Caroline Lofthouse, NOF Energy/Energi Coast, clofthouse@nofenergy.co.uk

England (Birmingham) - Offshore Wind England, Rachel Hayes, rhayes@regensw.co.uk / Johnathan Reynolds, jr@orbisenergy.net

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: “This scheme will help move marine power to the next stage of development, the demonstration of a number of wave and tidal devices in array formation out at sea. This will take us one vital step closer to realising our ambitions of generating electricity from the waves and tides, powering homes and businesses across the whole of the UK with clean, green electricity.”

The up to £20million MEAD scheme is part of a co-ordinated programme of innovation support for marine technology being delivered by the Low Carbon Innovation Co-ordination Group (LCICG).

Winning bids will be announced by Government towards the end of the year.

Notes for editors

1. Organisations can apply to the MEAD scheme online via the DECC website. The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 1 June 2012. DECC  will host an event on 2 May for anyone interested in applying and would encourage anyone planning to submit a bid to attend to learn more about the requirements of the scheme.
2. Any grant awards under the MEAD will be subject to State Aid approval by the European Commission.
3. Bids will be judged by an assessment panel on a range of criteria including the ability to generate a minimum of 7GWh per year and the use of at least three generating devices, previously demonstrated at full scale in sea conditions. Projects must be up and running by the end of March 2016.
4. Further details on how to apply for support from the MEAD scheme and the MEAD application support event on 2 May can be found at: www.decc.gov.uk/mead
5. To help develop and commercialise wave and tidal stream technology the UK has the most comprehensive marine energy support programme in the world. This provides help from the earliest stages of research through to demonstration and roll out under the renewables obligation.
6. The Spending Review of November 2010 announced DECC Capital funding of over £200m for low carbon technologies over four financial years, from April 2011. This includes up to £60m for the development of offshore wind manufacturing at port sites. The remaining capital funding will support innovation in low carbon technologies and systems.
7. From the low carbon technologies budget DECC announced the allocation of up to £20million to support the pre-commercial demonstration of marine array devices in June 2011. Further detail on innovation funding and support is available on the DECC website's Innovation funding and support web pages.
8. The Government’s LCICG brings together the major public-sector backed funders of low carbon innovation in the UK to work together to coordinate their activities and to maximise the impact of government investment in innovation. Its core members include DECC, BIS, Carbon Trust, Energy Technologies Institute, Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise have recently joined the core group and several other organisations, including the other Devolved Administrations, are represented as associate members.

The wind farm, located 25 kilometres off the coast of Suffolk, comprising of 140 wind turbines, is under construction by RWE Innogy.

The overall velocity of the vessel is 30 knots and it can endure loading of 2.5 tonnes of cargo on the foredeck. Furthermore, it can accommodate 12 passengers and two crew members. The main function of the workboat is to carry out maintenance and servicing activities on offshore windfarms.

Upon completion of works at Greater Gabbard site, expected to be finished by May it will turn sails to Thornton Bank Phase II wind farm near Ostend in Belgium, which is being constructed by C-Power company.

Source: www.offshorewind.biz

Held in association with the UK Marine Industries Alliance, ‘Marine Manufacturing - Global excellence and innovation’ celebrates the role of the industry to UK manufacturing across five key themes including leisure, naval, marine energy, commercial and marine science.

Business Minister Mark Prisk will tour the showcase, meet with business leaders and see for himself some of the latest examples of modern marine technology, innovation and design.

The Minister, who is also co-Chair of the Marine Industries Leadership Council, which provides a focal point for discussions between Government and the broad marine manufacturing industries, said:

“Worth approximately £10 billion a year to the UK economy and employing over 90,000 people, the marine industries sector makes an important contribution to UK PLC. Taking the maritime sector into account too, which includes shipping, ports and business services, that figure grows to £17bn.

“Last year the Government launched a strategy for growth for the UK marine industries, which working with the maritime and marine services sectors, will help bolster that contribution from £17 billion to £25 billion a year by 2020. That offers fantastic growth prospects for businesses and people.

“What we want to demonstrate with this showcase is that there are real and exciting opportunities in this sector to build careers, and be a part of something that helps place Britain as one of the world’s leading manufacturing nations.

“It complements our Make it in Great Britain campaign, which is working to change the perceptions of modern manufacturing and challenge views that we don’t make anything in this country anymore.”

Richard Sadler, Industry co-Chair of the Marine Industries Leadership Council and Chief Executive of Lloyds Register, said:

“Our strategy unifies the marine industries behind a common cause for the first time. Achieving our goal of growth across the marine industries will be much easier if we coordinate our actions. This will lead to more effective training and skills development, cooperation on new technology, and an improved regulatory environment, amongst other things.

"Ultimately, we want our customers and the public to see that we are contributing to the economy and society with worthwhile products and services. We really appreciate the opportunity that the Minister and his Department have given us to show what we can do. I call on all UK marine companies and stakeholders to join us in our endeavour.”

The ‘Marine Manufacturing - Global excellence and innovation’ showcase will feature exhibits from leading maritime names Pendennis, Fairline, Williams Performance Tenders, C-Fury, Marine Current Turbines (Seagen), Houlder, A&P Group, Sonardyne and the Aircraft Carrier Alliance.

Exhibits include a full scale Williams jet tender, models of a Marine Current Turbines tidal turbine and Houlder offshore access system, Fairline powerboat and Pendennis superyacht models and a full scale Sonardyne seabed sensor.

The showcase will be on display at BIS until Friday, 27 April.

Diana Brightmore-Armour and Stewart Gilliland visited Lowestoft in their capacity as non-executive directors at the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Diana is currently chief executive officer of corporate banking at the Lloyds Banking Group, while Stewart was previously chief executive of Muller UK and Ireland until his retirement at the end of 2010.

The pair met Andy Wood, chairman of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and board members Mark Goodall and Derrick Murphy at the Orbis renewables energy hub in Lowestoft.

They were given a presentation on progress made on the Enterprise Zone so far and a presentation from Johnathan Reynolds from Orbis on the huge opportunities over the next few years in the energy sector, including continued gas production and decommissioning, nuclear, offshore wind and other renewable technologies.

Mr Wood said: “It was a very positive meeting and a good chance to inform these senior business figures about the great potential our area offers and the progress we are making on the Enterprise Zone.

“They seemed impressed and were full of praise for the approach being taken by New Anglia.”

The visit comes a week after Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles visited Great Yarmouth to have an update on the Enterprise Zone.

Mr Wood said: “We are delighted that senior individuals from Government are so interested in our Enterprise Zone. We are working really hard with our partners to raise the profile of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft and our region as a whole as an attractive place for investment and an area where there are real prospects for growth.

“Our aim is to attract up 180 energy-related businesses to the area and generate up to 10,000 jobs by 2025 and we’ve made an excellent start in achieving this goal.”

A team of specialist business advisers provide general support on marketing, finance, growth and start-up issues; at each stage incorporating the importance of low carbon practices and monitoring into any more general support.

Experienced organisations are invited to tender to NWES for external evaluation of the “From Hub to Spokes” programme including evaluation of all elements of project activity.

Interested parties are invited to respond to this Invitation to tender in writing by 5.00pm, Friday 18th May 2012.

Download the ITT from http://www.2shared.com/document/T7vrHEiO/Invitation_to_Tender_for_Evalu.html

“Our competitiveness is as we move into deeper waters where the later Round 2 and Round 3 projects come into play,” said Julian Brown, country director for Areva wind in the UK.

In January 2010 Britain awarded licenses for 32 GW  projects in its 3rd round of offshore wind farm tenders. Energy Minister Charles Hendry said that Britain is planning to develop 18 GW of offshore wind by 2020, what brings it closer to its EU carbon emissions and renewable energy goals.

Spain’s Iberdrola SA (IBE), E.ON AG and Vattenfall AB of Germany, all clients of Areva, were winners of the UK round three. IBE is member of an Areva group that won approval this month from the French government to develop a 500 MW offshore wind farm in Brittany, and E.ON and Vattenfall are in a group that developed the Alpha Ventus offshore wind farm. That is Germany’s first wind farm, where 6 of Areva’s 5 MW turbines were installed.

Areva will have more than 1 GW of turbines installed before the UK round three projects start their development in 2014 and 2015, said Jean Huby, head of Areva’s wind-power unit. “To raise the funding for the U.K. projects, developers need to be able to reassure people that this is going to work,” he said. “By then, we will have done this 80, 160 times,” he added, referring to the two largest German projects in deeper waters.

Julian Brown said that he is developing a plan for the UK’s industry that will bring some manufacturing by Areva or its suppliers to the UK.

Areva plans to develop bigger turbines, but further details remain unknown at the moment. Its competitors (Siemens AG, Suzlon Energy Ltd.’s RePower unit and Alstom SA) have shown their 6 MW turbines, while Vestas is developing a 7 MW offshore machine.

The Clean Energy Ministerial was co-chaired by UK Energy Secretary Edward Davey and US Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Alongside the talks, Ed Davey signed a number of bilateral agreements with counterparts from other governments to work in collaboration over the coming years.

In parallel, a landmark agreement was signed between UK based OrbisEnergy, an international hub for the development of offshore renewables based in Lowestoft, and the Association of Cleantech Incubators of New England (ACTION), based in Massachusetts.

The deal will stimulate collaboration between the east coasts of the UK and the US in the development of offshore renewable energy innovation and incubation activity creating a strategic bridge allowing companies ease of access in exploiting new business opportunities.

Commenting on the Ministerial summit, Energy Secretary Edward Davey said “Britain has more wind turbines installed around its shores than any other country in the world and our market is rated year after year as the most attractive market among investors.

“Offshore wind is critical for the UK’s energy future and there is big interest around the world in what we’re doing.”

Judy Terry, Portfolio Holder for the Economy, Skills and Greenest County at Suffolk County Council and Chair of OrbisEnergy said “Few emerging business sectors offer quite as much opportunity as that of offshore renewables, where East Anglia is at the heart of the UK’s offshore wind potential.

“As a specialist innovation and incubation hub, OrbisEnergy supports businesses across the value chain encouraging start-up and growth among technology and high-growth enterprises looking to commercialise products or services from R&D stage through to market-readiness and beyond.

“Our region’s rich history in offshore operations, innovation and technology, with world class credentials in offshore engineering and fabrication gives East Anglia a unique offering. Building relationships with rapidly growing global markets such as the United States is a major step in supporting and incubating innovative companies to access international business opportunities.”

Michael Ryan, President of the ACTIONetwork said “Developing the clean energy sector globally presents massive opportunities for business. This agreement enables the sharing of best practice and expertise and gives us a framework to align our resources to maximize the impact for both countries.

“In time it is hoped that this approach will result in a collaborative UK-US relationship where companies can tap into specialized expertise to support both technological and commercial innovation and ultimately access new contracts in the growing offshore renewables sectors.”

In the US, the Department of Energy have recently announced a $180m funding opportunity for up to four Advanced Technology Demonstration Projects in US waters.  Teams of government officials, researchers, and companies in Massachusetts and New England are currently preparing responses to this funding opportunity that are expected to be highly competitive to receive funds.  Massachusetts and Rhode Island are also home to where the first two US offshore wind projects are expected to be deployed, the Cape Wind project off Cape Cod and Deepwater Wind project off Block Island.

Patrick Cloney, CEO of MassCEC said “Massachusetts is leading the United States in offshore renewable energy research and development and has a growing cluster of offshore renewable companies locating here. When we travelled with Governor Patrick's Innovation Economy Trade Mission to the United Kingdom, we met OrbisEnergy and immediately realized that we wanted to form a partnership on offshore energy and help bring their innovative virtual incubator model to Massachusetts.  As the leading incubator organization in New England, it was obvious that this partnership should start through ACTION.

“We expect that the collaboration between OrbisEnergy and ACTION will expand our cluster and make us more attractive for international offshore renewable companies looking to open an office and enter the US market.”

The Anglian Business Green 100 is delivered by Archant in partnership with the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. It is designed to celebrate the innovative and entrepreneurial approach shown by Suffolk businesses and promotes home grown green business initiatives providing recognition for their efforts. 

OrbisEnergy is the state-of-the-art specialist innovation and incubation centre that sits on Britain’s most easterly location at Ness Point in Lowestoft. It supports companies to maximise the supply chain opportunities associated with the rapid development of offshore renewables in the North Sea, and to help businesses take advantage of the many opportunities the growing energy sector offers.

Judy Terry, Portfolio Holder for the Economy, Skills and Greenest County at Suffolk County Council and Chair of OrbisEnergy said “Few emerging business sectors offer quite as much opportunity as that of offshore renewables, where East Anglia is at the heart of the UK’s offshore wind potential.

“Being recognised as one of the leading green businesses in Suffolk is a great testament to both our team and all of our tenant companies that work collaboratively to support innovation and growth in this hugely exciting industry.”

OrbisEnergy is owned by Suffolk County Council and managed by leading enterprise agency NWES. John Balch, Strategic Director for NWES and OrbisEnergy said “We are delighted to have been nominated within the top 100 green businesses. This is great recognition and builds on our strong track record and our commitment to both the environment and low carbon economic growth within Suffolk.”

OrbisEnergy was opened in late 2008 and was designed to cutting-edge environmental standards. Built over five storeys, it is designed for low environmental impact is ISO14001 accredited. The centre features the latest communication and high speed internet links. With solar thermal heating, the concrete sub-structure reduces year-round temperature fluctuations making the building energy efficient and self-regulating. Onsite power comes from the locally sourced woodchip biomass boiler.

The centre sits beneath the Lowestoft based wind turbine, named ‘Gulliver’, which delivers power direct to the national grid. OrbisEnergy is currently installing electric vehicle charging points to allow for next generation cars to be used and charged on site, adding to its environmental credentials.

John Balch added “We are always looking for new and innovative ways to support the green economy. Investing in new electric charging points was the obvious next step.”

OrbisEnergy forms a strategic incubation and business support link as part of the  NWES ‘Corridor of Power’ with its sister facilities Beacon Innovation Centre in Gorleston focussing on the offshore gas sectors and the Leiston Enterprise Centre focusing on the civil nuclear sectors, itself close to the Sizewell nuclear power stations.

The Clean Energy Ministerial was co-chaired by UK Energy Secretary Edward Davey and US Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Alongside the talks, Ed Davey signed a number of bilateral agreements with counterparts from other governments to work in collaboration over the coming years.

In parallel, a landmark agreement was signed between UK based OrbisEnergy, an international hub for the development of offshore renewables based in Lowestoft, and the Association of Cleantech Incubators of New England (ACTION), based in Massachusetts.

The deal will stimulate collaboration between the east coasts of the UK and the US in the development of offshore renewable energy innovation and incubation activity creating a strategic bridge allowing companies ease of access in exploiting new business opportunities.

Commenting on the Ministerial summit, Energy Secretary Edward Davey said “Britain has more wind turbines installed around its shores than any other country in the world and our market is rated year after year as the most attractive market among investors.

“Offshore wind is critical for the UK’s energy future and there is big interest around the world in what we’re doing.”

Judy Terry, Portfolio Holder for the Economy, Skills and Greenest County at Suffolk County Council and Chair of OrbisEnergy said “Few emerging business sectors offer quite as much opportunity as that of offshore renewables, where East Anglia is at the heart of the UK’s offshore wind potential.

“As a specialist innovation and incubation hub, OrbisEnergy supports businesses across the value chain encouraging start-up and growth among technology and high-growth enterprises looking to commercialise products or services from R&D stage through to market-readiness and beyond.

“Our region’s rich history in offshore operations, innovation and technology, with world class credentials in offshore engineering and fabrication gives East Anglia a unique offering. Building relationships with rapidly growing global markets such as the United States is a major step in supporting and incubating innovative companies to access international business opportunities.”

Michael Ryan, President of the ACTIONetwork said “Developing the clean energy sector globally presents massive opportunities for business. This agreement enables the sharing of best practice and expertise and gives us a framework to align our resources to maximize the impact for both countries.

“In time it is hoped that this approach will result in a collaborative UK-US relationship where companies can tap into specialized expertise to support both technological and commercial innovation and ultimately access new contracts in the growing offshore renewables sectors.”

In the US, the Department of Energy have recently announced a $180m funding opportunity for up to four Advanced Technology Demonstration Projects in US waters.  Teams of government officials, researchers, and companies in Massachusetts and New England are currently preparing responses to this funding opportunity that are expected to be highly competitive to receive funds.  Massachusetts and Rhode Island are also home to where the first two US offshore wind projects are expected to be deployed, the Cape Wind project off Cape Cod and Deepwater Wind project off Block Island.

Patrick Cloney, CEO of MassCEC said “Massachusetts is leading the United States in offshore renewable energy research and development and has a growing cluster of offshore renewable companies locating here. When we travelled with Governor Patrick's Innovation Economy Trade Mission to the United Kingdom, we met OrbisEnergy and immediately realized that we wanted to form a partnership on offshore energy and help bring their innovative virtual incubator model to Massachusetts.  As the leading incubator organization in New England, it was obvious that this partnership should start through ACTION.

“We expect that the collaboration between OrbisEnergy and ACTION will expand our cluster and make us more attractive for international offshore renewable companies looking to open an office and enter the US market.”

Originally founded in 1982 as the Lowestoft Enterprise Trust, NWES has grown to become a regional player in enterprise support and economic development, with a £6m turnover and 18 business centres across the region, ranging from OrbisEnergy in Lowestoft to Harlow Enterprise Hub.

It has also contributed to the government’s start-up strategy, and in the last five years has helped 2411 new businesses to start trading.

This month it will be involved in a national investment readiness programme with Barclays to provide help in accessing bank funding.

In addition to the 1-to-1 business advice sessions and training courses, the NWES Group also comprises an Education Business Partnership (NWES World of Work) which facilitates links between schools and local companies. .

To celebrate its birthday, staff and tenants at their enterprise centres have been tucking into ‘30th’ cakes along with champagne. A 1980’s party will be held later in the year to celebrate three decades of encouraging enterprise.

Kevin Horne, who has been chief executive since 1997, said: “From four staff and a shared computer we now cover four counties and have helped over 10,000 new businesses to start up, thrive and survive.

“I am immensely proud of the organisation, in particular for remaining independent which means we have been able to solely concentrate on providing what our clients want and need.”

A programme to cultivate what has been dubbed the East of England Energy Zone has been put in the place as delegations have been working to raise the profile of the region both in the UK and internationally.

In recent weeks businesses Fendercare, CLS Offshore and Gardline joined a group from the Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance at a major wind conference in Copenhagen. Days later representatives from export department UKTI visited this region to explore the opportunities for the enterprise zones. Anthony Arkle, the UKTI’s head of energy, environment and infrastructure projects, was accompanied by colleagues Dr Piers Willson and Marc Adams. They toured Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, viewing the ports and meeting leading companies.

At the international European Wind Energy Association Conference, NSEA had a stand at the exhibition and took park in a series of specially arranged presentations and networking opportunities.

Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance inward invesment director James Gray said: “The exhibition alone has given us more than 100 positive business leads for the region. It was a great success and aroused tremendous interest. The East of England’s offshore wind farms are the hot topic of the sector right now.”

Survey work has been undertaken for third offshore wind farm project round off the Norfolk and Suffolk coast and East Anglia Offshore Wind is expected to put in a planning application later this year.

Mr Gray said: “We are in contact with the major businesses we expected to be dealing with at this stage who are big players who will make the big decisions.

“Another big part of this is to ensure that our local businesses are getting as many opportunities as possible to promote their capabilities. They will be key to us securing some of the bigger investors coming in because they can see the quality of the experience.

Marcus Noakes, business development manager for Gardline Geosciences , said the visit to Copenhagan, the first of a series of partnering events organised by the British Embassy and Danish Wind industry produced some encouraging contacts and networking.

Inward investment director for the East of England Energy Zone James Gray said: “If you look at the other areas that are competing for new offshore wind investment they do not have the history. What we find is when we are attracting potential investors to that supply chain they recognise that 50 years of experience in the oil and gas industry is going to be important to the new wind farms that are going to be further out in the Southern North Sea.”

“This is a time of unprecedented growth in offshore wind yet the ongoing investment in all-energy in the North Sea and around the world still dominates.

“We have a strong association with all elements of the supply chain and a unique industry driven skills programme, Skills for Energy, hosted by EEEGR.

“We want to ensure that companies investing across the energy spectrum are fully aware of the real competitive advantage that locating and operating in the East of England Energy Zone can bring.”

Last year Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft were granted Enterprise Zone status offering a simplified planning regime and business rate relief for the development of a number of key sites including port related land with quayside access. The region has already been designated by Government a Centre for Offshore Renewable Engineering (CORE), one of only five identified across the country.

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn12_054/pn12_054.aspx

The scheme aims to help innovators develop novel ideas to make offshore turbines more efficient and help cut the cost of offshore wind energy.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said:

“Wind energy has great potential here in the UK but we need to ensure turbines work in the most efficient way to cut the costs of generating green power.  We have already run a successful first round of our offshore wind innovation scheme and we now have £5million more up for grabs to help companies get their designs off the drawing board and out to sea.”

You’ll recall that there have already been successful bidders to the first round including David Brown Gear Systems Ltd, Huddersfield, NGenTec, Edinburgh, Osbit Power, Riding Mill, Northumberland and OGN North Sea, Tyne and Wear.

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn12_014/pn12_014.aspx

This second round  is open to a range of different innovative designs, including components used in wind turbines (5MW plus), foundations, connection and transmission, installation, operation and maintenance.  Bids will be assessed by DECC, the TSB and independent advisers and will be judged against a range of criteria.

Organisations interested in applying for funding can register to attend a briefing event on 22 May.  Applications must be received online by 12pm on 29 June.  Successful bidders will be notified in Autumn this year.

In February 2012 East Anglia Offshore Wind will publish a body of environmental information about the East Anglia Zone and, in particular, the first wind farm development, East Anglia ONE.  Helen Thompson, Project Manager for East Anglia ONE, will highlight key findings of the studies that have shaped the development and identified the preferred route for the cable bringing the power to Bramford, Ipswich.  Helen will outline the next steps towards getting the all-important planning consent for East Anglia ONE upon which the investment programme depends. This business breakfast takes place during a period of statutory consultation where the views of businesses are actively being sort.

Emphasis will be placed on networking with peers and other industry professionals and on strengthening the regional offer collaboratively.

BREAKFAST MENU

Orange Juice Reception

Full English Breakfast: Fried egg, Bacon, Sausage, Black Pudding, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Fried Bread served with Tea and Coffee.

The most important conference for the offshore energy industry in the East of England.

The Southern North Sea Conference 2012 will be the biggest and best conference that EEEGR has delivered yet and we are honoured to play host to highest profile speakers of international renown.

Due to the outstanding success of our previous sell-out conferences and the multi-billion pound opportunities in the Southern North Sea, this year the conference is set to nearly double in capacity. We will also be introducing an exhibition zone which will represent companies across the supply chain.

The conference will focus on the main assets of our sea of opportunity; offshore wind and gas – with a running theme of supply chain, procurement and skills.

We are honoured that the conference will be chaired by John Westwood, group chairman of international energy business advisors Douglas-Westwood.

Conference sponsor Seajacks UK are one of the biggest ambassadors for the skills and expertise of the East of England and are an excellent example of the strength of our supply chain. Their support of this event is testament to its position as the leading conference for the offshore energy industry in the East of England.

Meet the Buyer sessions

For the first time the SNS wconference will play host to two informative ‘Meet the Buyer’ sessions which will run alongside the conference presentations. We will have four tier one and tier two companies in both the gas and offshore wind sectors giving short presentations about contracting opportunities available immediately and in the near future. These sessions are designed specifically to advise you of key business opportunities and how to get on procurement lists.

Exhibition Zone

The exhibition will run simultaneously with the conference giving you the opportunity to gain extra profile at EEEGR’s flagship event. The exhibition zone will feature companies from across the supply chain all on hand to meet, greet and form new relationships.

There are 30 exhibition spaces available with a choice large (3m) or small (1m) spaces.

Added Value: Exclusive Members pre-Conference Breakfast

New to SNS12, EEEGR Members registered for the conference will benefit from a free pre-conference networking breakfast adding value to your membership. Members will be treated to bacon rolls from 7.30am whilst they get stuck into the day’s proceedings and make the most of the additional networking time.

EEEGR's Grand Awards Dinner is an excellent opportunity to hear about the region's latest energy innovations as we announce the winner of our prestigious Energy Innovation Award, the Low Carbon Innovation Award and this year for the third time, our EEEGR Member of the Year Award.

Finalists for the Energy Innovation Awards will each make presentations throughout the day.
Click HERE to to book your place at the presentations.

EEEGR Member of the Year Award

We will be announcing the winner of our second EEEGR Member of the Year Award - the ultimate EEEGR accolade.

Three members have been put forward by the EEEGR team based on their interaction, enthusiasm and support of EEEGR.

Innovation, inspiration and imagination will be key as EEEGR stages its 9th annual awards competition in February 2012 to reveal pioneering ideas and groundbreaking technology which can benefit the energy industry.

If previous competitions are anything to go by, the Energy Innovation Awards 2012 are sure to reveal ideas with national and international potential. They've proved many times over that there really is such a thing as a new idea.

It's also an opportunity for an expert audience to see and hear first-hand all about the innovations, question the people behind them and maybe get a head start on a smart piece of business.

The Event

Eight Finalists will present their innovations to the audience and panel of 5 top judges in a Dragon's Den style pitch. The audience and the judges will then cast their votes for the Energy Innovation of the Year and the Low Carbon Innovation Award!

Following directly on from this event we will be presenting the winners at our annual Gala Awards Dinner. Click HERE to book your place or corporate table.

The Finalists

We are pleased to announce the 8 finalists for EEEGR’s Energy Innovation Awards 2012.

3Sun Inspection Services - Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tagging and Handheld Software
4NRg Limited – Tidal Harvester
EcoStyle Ltd – Educational Renewable Energy Kits
Gradsol Ltd – High Temperature Conversion of Waste
Oilennium – Physical Interface Driven Simulator
OSBIT Power Ltd – MaXccess
Select Innovations Ltd – Enlight Advanced Lighting Technology
Tidal Transit Limited - MV 'Ginny Louise' - Offshore Wind Support Vessel

Please contact Louise Jenkins for further information T: 01493 446535 E: lj@eeegr.com

To celebrate the official launch of the new NWFTC training tower and the College's new state-of-the-art engineering workshops, the College is hosting an open afternoon on 10th February starting at 1400.

A&E Systems are taking part in the celebrations with product demonstrations and information on its products and services. We would be very pleased to see you there.

Lowestoft College is showcasing its wide range of excellent training facilities for Maritime, Offshore and Engineering with afternoon tea from 1400 and guided tours at 1430, 1500 and 15.30.

Please RSVP

For planning purposes, please email Michele m.able@lowestoft.ac.uk confirming your attendance and which tour you intend to join

Speakers at the event include Peter Aldous Waveney MP, Chris Starkie from New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, Joanna Young from ScottishPower Renewables, and Johnathan Reynolds from OrbisEnergy.

The event is taking place at the Waveney House Hotel in Beccles on 29th March and costs £15pp (which includes a buffet).  Registration is from 5.15pm with the first speaker due to begin at 6pm

To book a place/s at the event please go: http://wbfopportunitiesforyourbusiness.eventbrite.com/

ERIKS have many years experience across maintenance, repair and operational activities. We have a lot to offer you in the form of technical expertise and product innovations that could deliver cost savings and production performance gains.

ERIKS specialists will be joined by product experts from SKF, Castrol, WEG, Zymo and Renold to solve your engineering headaches across a range of areas from bearings and lubrication to drives and power transmission.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get your engineering headaches solved by ERIKS’ technical teams.

Please email ashley.ruston@eriks.co.uk to register.

The timely development of a UK supply chain is key to realising the ambitions of the offshore wind industry. This event will provide an overarching view of the UK’s offshore wind programme, delve into the specific details of individual projects and enable networking through supply chain themed seminars and exhibition with the industry’s key players.

The event is supported by The Crown Estate and led by Offshore Wind England, which comprises of five partners including OrbisEnergy, RESCO, Regen SW, CO2Sense and Envirolink. 

To Book please visit http://goo.gl/djgqm

Registration is open for bookings, if you would be interested in sponsorship of this event and raising your companies profile in this rapidly expanding sector, please contact either:

Rachel Hayes, events and membership manager, Regen SW on rhayes@regensw.co.uk or call 01392 494 399; or

Johnathan Reynolds, business development, OrbisEnergy on jr@orbisenergy.net or call 07787 518643.

The conference will also offer a wide choice of learning and interactive workshops and include an exhibition to showcase new products and innovations.

We are delighted to welcome the following expert speakers to Sustainability 2012:

• Gunter Pauli, an entrepreneur, lecturer, author and commentator on culture, science, politics, sustainability and the environment.
• George Padelopoulos, Sustainability Manager – Ethical Trade, B&Q
• Tom McGarry, Communications Manager, Sizewell C, EDF Energy
• Jonathan Cage, MD, Create Consulting Engineers
• Paul Bourgeois – Director, Zero Carbon Britain
• John French – CEO Adapt Low Carbon Group
• Mark Pendlington, Director of Corporate Affairs, Anglian Water

The event will be Chaired by Andy Wood, CEO of Adnams

4NRG Ltd will discuss the future of wave and tidal, and how seven of the the eight full-scale prototype devices installed worldwide are inUKwaters, making the country the world leader in the development of wave and tidal energy technologies. Most of these are in the North of Scotland, hundreds of miles from where the power is needed in the south. There is a great opportunity for EEEGr members to be involved in the development of tide and wave energy solutions: utilising the existing infrastructure for offshore wind, reducing the costs of production, and developing even more opportunities in this fast growing industry. Come and find out how you can take advantage of the next round of government investment in this rapidly emerging opportunity.

Dr Therese Coffey and Peter Aldous MP, supported by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and UK Export Finance (UKEF), invite you to a breakfast meeting to hear more about the benefits of international trade and the ways in which these two Government Departments can help your company do business overseas. One to one meetings with experts from both Departments will be available

Who Should Attend?

• Companies who have little or no experience of doing business overseas

• Companies who currently export and would like to know more about how UKTI and UKEF can help

• Companies who need help in cracking particular export markets

• Companies who would like to hear from a real life [Suffolk] exporter

Details of the programme can be found in the attached PDF Document.

To register, please contact:

Annette Dunning, Assistant to Dr Coffey:

Email: annette.dunning@parliament.uk

Telephone: 01394 610045

The Zest Rooms, Potters Leisure Resort,
Hopton, NR31 9BX 

With guest speakers:

James Gray,  Inward Investment Director - Norfolk & Suffolk
Energy Alliance

&

Andy Lewin - East Anglia Offshore Wind

Exhibitor Stand Opportunity

£50.00
members     £75.00 non members  (+ VAT)

We are offering businesses the opportunity to take advantage of
booking 

exhibitor space at our above networking event.

Give your business the leading edge by having a visual presence at our
event! 



What's included in
the Exhibitor price?



Pop up banner space, a table for company
literature/products/promotions, electric point & wifi

One free place at the event

(valued at £22.50 for members, £33.00 non members)

this includes a delicious breakfast, refreshments and of course

great networking opportunities with local businesses.

Please note: Exhibitor
space will only be confirmed once payment has been received in full prior to
the event.



For more details and to book your place please
contact The Events Team on 01502 502200 or email eventsmanager@waveneychamber.co.uk

Watch this space for more information about this event!

The general subject area will be of interest to the energy sector as attention increasingly is turning to Resilience issues.

The session will be interactive (workshop style) and include a description of the different types of exercises, what they achieve and the effort needed for each.  And, of course, how to avoid the many pitfalls that can easily put people off future involvement. 

Put simply, if you haven’t tested your plan – then you haven’t really got one!

There will also be time allocated to discuss Business Continuity issues around 2012 Olympics

About the Business Continuity Forum:

The Forum meets up to 4 times per year and covers a range of Business Continuity issues.  Members quickly find a network of managers and specialists who can offer advice and support.

The Forum is open to all business and free to attend.  It is promoted by Suffolk County Council as part of their statutory duty under the Civil Contingencies Act.

For more information about the Business Continuity Forum please visit:

http://www.suffolkresilienceforum.onesuffolk.net/business-continuity/suffolk-resilience-business-continuity-forum/

Anyone wishing to attend please email Alan Pawsey (alan@arcriskandresilience.co.uk)

Speakers Confirmed to date:

• Tim Johnson, Contract Manager Procurement - DONG
• Andrew Bellamy, Senior Industrial & Supply Chain Project Manager - AREVA
• Chris Squires, NNB Supply Chain Engagement Manager - EDF Energy
• Cliff Matthews, Energy from Waste Regional Manager - SITA
• Carl Erik Gurrik, Commercial Manager - Fred Olsen Group
• Charlie Morris, Project Manager - Siemens

Delegates will also hear from The Crown Estate and Barclays - Speakers TBA.

Exhibition

We have added even more value to exhibitors and delegates this year with a strong focus on networking in the exhibition zone in the afternoon whilst the sessions are taking place.

There are 40 exhibition stands available and these sold out well in advance last year so book early to avoid disappointment. To secure a 3 metre or a 1 metre space please book NOW.

Afternoon Session - Skills for Energy

The Skills for Energy session will discuss transferable skills from the Military sector into the energy industry, as well as courses and programmes being developed to support the industry. Celia Anderson will also update delegates with the status of the long awaited EPISCentre, a bespoke facility to service the industries training needs.

Afternoon Session - Marine

The Marine session will discuss how the local marine supply chain can diversify and service the growing energy industry. You will hear from 3 key players who will all talk about the opportunities available both locally and internationally in the offshore wind sector.

Afternoon Session - Decommissioning

The decommissioning session will explore not only oil and gas decommissioning but also nuclear and offshore wind decommissioning, highlighting the massive opportunities for the supply chain in the East of England.

Afternoon Session - New Build Projects

The New Build session will look at major construction projects in the energy sector as well looking specifically at waste to energy new build and nuclear new build and will be chaired by ECITB.

1. Controls and Instrumentation Support

This contract calls for the supply of a C&I support service for all Equipment installed at Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm. The successful tender is required to provide skilled tradesmen, technicians and supervisory staff of various disciplines to undertake routine maintenance, breakdown and installation tasks at the request of GGOWL when required.

2. Cladding Support

This contract calls for the supply of a Cladding support service for all Plant installed at Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm mostly located on both Offshore Sub-station Platforms. The successful tender is required to provide skilled tradesmen, technicians and supervisory staff of various disciplines to undertake routine maintenance, breakdown and installation tasks at the request of GGOWL when required.

3. Confined Space Support

This contract calls for the supply of a Confined Space support service for Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm. The successful tender is required to provide experienced staff to undertake training, rescue team, watchmen and confined space support at the request of GGOWL when required.

4. Mechanical Support

This contract calls for the supply of a Mechanical support service for all Plant installed at  Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm. The successful tender is required to provide skilled tradesmen, technicians and supervisory staff of various disciplines to undertake routine maintenance, breakdown and installation tasks at the request of GGOWL when required.

5. Scaffolding Support

This contract calls for the supply of a Scaffolding support service for all Equipment installed at the Greater Gabbard Offshore Windfarm. The successful tender is required to provide skilled tradesmen and supervisory staff to undertake erecting, modifying and dismantling scaffolding to aid routine maintenance, breakdown and installation tasks at the request of GGOWL when required.