North-East firms lead green energy sector (From The Northern Echo)

North-East firms lead green energy sector

9:44am Tuesday 7th September 2010 in

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A GROUND-BREAKING green energy project has put two North-East firms at the forefront of a £2bn sector, it was claimed last night.

Darlington firm CTC Marine completed the installation of the £42m Wave Hub project at the weekend, a massive electrical socket on the seabed, 16km off the coast of Cornwall.

The hub, and the 25km of subsea cable that connects it to the National Grid onshore, were manufactured by Hartlepool firm JDR Cable Systems.

The project, to create the world’s largest test site for tidal power technology, has been developed by the South- West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA), which contracted the two firms.

The hub, to which wave power devices will be able to be connected and their performance evaluated, will remain on the seabed for the next 25 years.

The involvement of the North-East firms in the project comes as the region positions itself as a centre of expertise for green industries, including electric vehicles and wind power.

Last night CTC managing director Daryl Lynch said: “We recognise that this milestone in the Wave Hub project marks success for CTC.

“This project has helped meet the continued growth of the business in the renewables sector.”

SWRDA Wave Hub general manager Guy Lavender said: “The fact that it was designed and built in this country is testimony to the skills and experience that the UK already has in the fledgling marine renewables industry.”

Already about a quarter of the world’s wave and tidal technologies are being developed in the UK.

UK Science Minister David Willetts, said: “It is fantastic news that Wave Hub has now been deployed on the ocean floor.

“This groundbreaking project will strengthen the UK’s position at the forefront of the wave energy sector.”

“This is a huge opportunity for UK business.

“The sector could be worth £2bn by 2050 and it has the potential to create up to 16,000 jobs by 2040.”

Maria McCaffery, chief executive of Renewable UK, the UK’s leading renewable energy association, said: “With projects such as Wave Hub, and a solid financial support mechanism, as a country we now have a unique opportunity to strengthen the lead in the sector and start rolling out the next generation of wave and tidal energy devices.”

It emerged in May that CTC, which employs 120 people in the Tees Valley, had won the £7m contract with SWRDA to install the device and the 33,000-volt cable connecting it to the mainland.

It started installation of the cable in August.

The Wave Hub was lowered 55 metres onto the seabed from the cable laying ship Nordica at 3.12pm on Friday, before CTC experts spent the weekend completing the installation.

Wave Hub is being funded with £12.5m from the South West RDA, £20m from the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme and £9.5m from the Government.