Water way to source new energy

November 11, 2018
Water way to source new energy

Blue Energy, which embraces wave, tidal and floating wind power, is now seen as key to realise Europe’s energy transition goals and meet stringent climate change targets.

Using renewable sources, its ambition is to generate a flexible and interconnected energy supply system across the continent. Research has shown, based on favourable regulatory and economic conditions, that Blue Energy has the potential to meet 10% of the EU’s power demand by 2050.

That expectation, however, is based on determined R&D investment and unified industrial development policies across EU countries, organisations and businesses.

There’s no doubt the drive to enhance and accelerate the development of new technologies across the marine energy sector, is alive and kicking. We see it in action through our members’ commitment and activity. Such vision and efforts can now be reinforced through EU funding to develop a joint internationalisation strategy for the marine sector.

To pull together organisations and businesses in this effort, an innovative European consortium has launched The Europe Leading Blue Energy (ELBE) project. Part of the EU’s Cluster Collaboration Platform and funded by COSME, the EU programme for competitiveness, the initiative has been selected as the main representative of the energy sector. Its aim is to forge business collaboration and innovation and identify new opportunities in global markets for floating offshore windfarms, wave and tidal for the European energy supply chain.

The 18-month project, which kicked-off in Brussels earlier this year, will be implemented by a consortium of organisations, which includes AREG, Flanders’ Maritime Cluster (Belgium), Offshoreväst (Sweden), Offshoreenergy.dk (Denmark), under the co-ordination of the Basque Energy Cluster in Spain.

The partners involved represent 532 organisations, 17 Blue Energy test and demonstration centres, 24 wave energy developers, seven tidal developers and seven floating offshore wind developers.

The European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) is an action of the Cluster Internationalisation Programme for SMEs. The plan is to deliver a strategy for European businesses to enter global markets and create an alliance with a clear focus, which is ready to trade across the world.

AREG is playing a key role to galvanise phase one of the project. This will create new EU cross-border and cross-sectoral business alliances and identify business opportunities for SMEs in the emerging global offshore wind, wave and tidal markets. In phase two, we aim to define and launch a joint internationalisation strategy with the purpose of strengthening Europe’s position as the world technological and industrial leader in Blue Energy.

Among other activities, the project will conduct market analysis in the main non-European countries involved in marine energy developments, alliance participation in international events and the organisation of several networking and technical events among the companies of the different regions.

This is a fantastic opportunity for our members and the wider energy community to create a new industrial sector, generate jobs, bolster the local supply chain, and take advantage of export opportunities in the global marketplace.

Get in touch

AREG is the original energy transition organisation, working on behalf of members to empower the energy supply chain and champion its expertise. Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to find out more about membership.

AREG has played an important role in the growth of Scotland’s renewable energy sector, engaging the supply chain and developing the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre. However, we are only at the very beginning of the transition that AREG was established to both lead and support so there are still opportunities for companies to get into the constantly evolving renewables supply chain. We look forward to continuing our work together as renewables builds on its place as Scotland’s main source of power, and as we seek to deliver real change in the crucial areas of heat and transport.

Scottish Renewables

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce has worked closely with AREG since its formation. The recent progress in the developments of offshore wind projects by Equinor and Vattenfall are as a result of the work of the group over many years. The north-east is known as the oil and gas capital of Europe. At the Chamber, we believe the region must evolve its position to being recognised as the energy capital. Whilst hydrocarbons will continue to be essential in driving our economy for years to come, the generation of renewable resources will play an increasingly important role in providing cost-effective power, innovative development and economic growth.

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce

The enthusiasm and dedication of the early group that would become AREG was fundamental in us choosing to launch All-Energy in Aberdeen. The first tiny show was held in 2001, and AREG’s Chairman at the time, Jeremy Cresswell, played such an active role that I often describe him in terms such as All-Energy’s ‘midwife’. All-Energy is now the UK’s largest renewable and low carbon energy exhibition and conference in terms of number of attendees, space booked, and number of exhibiting companies. As AREG became firmly established, their presence and support for the event grew spectacularly over the years. We thank them most sincerely for their invaluable input.

All-Energy

Vattenfall has forged a strong working relationship with AREG through the development of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre. AREG has worked tirelessly on behalf of the North East and it can take enormous credit for the growth of sustainable energy in the region and the path it has cleared for the region to capture further investment.

Vattenfall

Aberdeen City and Shire is emerging as a key location for renewables by successfully transferring its world-class oil and gas expertise into the sector and AREG has done much to advance this through a broad range of initiatives. It has acted as a catalyst in driving further investment in the local economy by engaging with companies, Government, public bodies and existing projects and we have been pleased to support their efforts. Scottish Enterprise will continue to engage with AREG as we increase Scotland’s use of renewable energy.

Scottish Enterprise