Danish wind farm delegation to visit region

31/08/2010

A delegation of Danish companies involved in the offshore wind industry will visit Yorkshire and Humber this week as part of a drive to make the region a multi-billion pound player in offshore wind and energy generation.

The inward mission will showcase the growing offshore wind energy sector in Yorkshire and Humber and develop partnerships between regional businesses and their Danish counterparts - the pioneers in offshore wind power.

Coordinated by Enterprise Europe Yorkshire and supported by AEM Yorkshire and Team Humber Marine Alliance and other key regional organisations, the centre piece of the three day visit will be a matchmaking event, taking place in the afternoon of September 2nd at the World Trade Centre Hull & Humber.
Companies represented on the inward mission include Nordic Offshore, FORCE Technology, Fair Wind Solutions, SCANCON, Copenhagen Capacity, Site Facility, AX-s, ACTA, Roblon, Muehlha and U-Rope Access.

Yorkshire and Humber is already home to over 20 wind energy projects including ‘Humber Gateway’ and ‘Westernmost Rough’ - two of the UK’s largest offshore wind farm projects.

On Thursday September 2nd, the delegation will be welcomed by North East Lincolnshire Council at the 110 acre, ‘Europarc’ business centre, before touring Port of Grimsby East. The port is a key operations and maintenance base for wind farm projects and currently provides facilities for offshore activity of Siemens and Centrica.
In the afternoon delegates from regional businesses including Cosalt, Grimsby, Able UK, Hull, and Sky Climber Wind Solutions, Scarborough will have 20 minute 1-to1 meetings with Danish delegates and take part in an informal networking session.
The following day delegates will tour MTL Group’s plant in Sheffield. The company is a specialist contract manufacturer already working on large fabricated steel structures for offshore foundations.

Tim Barraclough, a consultant at Enterprise Europe Yorkshire has been instrumental in coordinating the three day programme with his Danish Enterprise Europe Network counterpart, Thomas Anderson. Tim said:
“The importance of this industry to the region as a whole can’t be underestimated. The Humber estuary is centrally located to the three largest Round 3 offshore wind development zones - Dogger Bank, Hornsea and Norfolk.
“Hornsea alone will provide enough electricity to meet 4% of all electricity demand in the UK and will power approximately 3 million homes.
“Estimates suggest that the industry could be worth up to £50bn the region by 2020, bringing jobs and wealth to the people of Yorkshire and Humber.
“This visit will lead to new ventures and partnerships that drive growth in the sector to the next level.”
 

Dr Henry Shirman is MTL Group’s Managing Director. He added: “Working on offshore projects poses different engineering challenges for companies supplying in to the sector. This visit is a great opportunity to showcase what we do and demonstrate our ability to deliver high quality engineered components for the renewable energy sector. “I look forward to welcoming all the delegates, forming new relationships and increasing our involvement in the industry.”
Theresa Lindsay, Assistant Director of Business (Business Development) at Yorkshire Forward, added: “Our power stations currently provide 18% of the nation’s electricity capacity, but target’s for an 80% cut in emissions means we need to find alternative sources of power.

‘’The Humber is located in the heart of the Round 3 zones and offers the right conditions for the offshore wind industry to operate from.’’

Getting a foothold in new markets can be a challenge but Enterprise Europe Yorkshire can help as it is part of Europe’s largest business support network with a presence in 46 countries and 280 cities - acting as a local gateway to the European marketplace.
Co-funded by Yorkshire Forward and the European Commission, the Enterprise Europe Yorkshire team of advisors works with businesses, universities and research bodies to help them make the most of opportunities overseas.

Media contacts: Jamie Ollivere at RTC North on 01915164400 or Mob 07950566182
Notes to editor:

Visit www.ee-yorkshire.com for full itinerary

Enterprise Europe Yorkshire helps organisations interested in;
• Research opportunities
• Business opportunities
• News alerts & information
• Public procurement, ‘Tenders Electronic Daily’
Enterprise Europe Yorkshire brings together four local organisations including Yorkshire Forward, RTC North, Targeting Innovation and Bradford Metropolitan District Council which are dedicated to helping your business get the information and advice you need, to compete effectively here in the UK and the rest of Europe

Enterprise Europe Network is made up of close to 600 partner organisations in more than 40 countries, promoting competitiveness and innovation at the local level in Europe and beyond. Whether you need information on EU legislation, help with technology transfer or finding a business partner, want to benefit from innovation networks in your region or need information on funding opportunities, this is the place to start.