Bristol’s Tidal Energy Growth Continues
Posted on 01 December 2011
Bristol City Council, in partnership with Regen South West, the south west of England’s renewable energy body, have launched a new Tidal Energy Forum at Bristol Port Company’s offices at Avonmouth, to further enhance Bristol’s position as a UK centre for tidal energy research and technology development.
“Bristol has a growing international reputation as a base for the renewable energy sector, attracting companies such as Vestas and LICenergy over the last year” says Bristol City Council Leader Barbara Janke. “We have the expertise, the natural resources and the ambitions to make Bristol and the South West the hub for offshore renewable energy in the UK.”
Merlin Hyman, Chief Executive of RegenSW commented: “Renewable energy is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy creating huge opportunities for business. This new partnership will enable us to work with Bristol City Council on our mission to support pioneering renewable energy projects with thriving local supply chains.”
As well as hearing about the huge potential energy resources which could be harnessed in the Bristol channel, industry delegates heard presentations from leading technology developers and industry experts including; Tidal Energy Limited, Pulse Tidal, Marine Current Turbines, Parsons Brinkerhoff, Bristol University and Garrad Hassan. Highlights included the very exciting plans outlined by Martin Murphy, MD of Tidal Energy Limited, to deploy a 1.2 MW demonstration tidal turbine at a high energy site in Ramsey Sound, and the equally ambitions plans to deploy Pulse Tidal’s latest technology at a test site off North Devon.
Overall the forum concluded that while Bristol is already recognised as a centre for technology development, more could be done to promote the commercialisation of the industry. The call for action included support for collaborative research, identifying demonstration and early deployment sites for tidal technologies and crucially working together with other regional partners in Wales, Cornwall and across the South West.
The forum was the first in a programme of activities designed to raise Bristol’s profile in the booming offshore renewable energy sector.
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