A major summit showcasing the South West's potential as the UK's green energy powerhouse has taken place in Plymouth. Business and government leaders gathered at the University of Plymouth for the event, which was run by the Great South West partnership.
The partnership is made up of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP; Dorset LEP; Heart of the South West LEP; eight county and unitary authorities; six universities; and major businesses. It aims to advocate the region’s natural ‘blue and green’ assets, including the marine, agriculture and environmental sectors.
The summit examined the West of England's energy opportunities including floating offshore wind, battery storage, hydrogen and geothermal. It also explored some of the challenges facing the development of the energy sector, including improving grid capacity, building talent pipelines, and skills needs.
Earlier in November, the British Chambers of Commerce South West (BCCSW) called on the government to recognise the South West's importance as the blue-green powerhouse of the country, urging new chancellor Jeremy Hunt to provide more investment into infrastructure in the region.
Mark Duddridge, chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP, said the summit highlighted the "importance of collaboration" in realising the "huge potential" of sustainable, green energy generation across the South West.
He said: "In Cornwall we have some of the best natural resources in the UK, with opportunities spanning floating offshore wind, deep geothermal and tech metals including lithium, tin and tungsten, all vital to the energy transition."
Priority actions for the Great South West were identified at the summit, setting a pathway for how the partnership’s business, education and government partners could work together on the energy agenda and promote the region.
Cecilia Bufton, chair of the Dorset LEP, added: “This was the first Great South West Summit and it showcased very clearly our region’s green energy strengths and potential for leadership in this field."
She added: "Whilst we face numerous challenges, with a shortage of skilled workers and constrained grid infrastructure being the most cited issues, we have the scale and commitment to attract investors, and the talent to make progress across a range of solutions.”
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