Contractors in the south west of England could benefit from a new renewable energy project that is set to create up to 6,000 new jobs.
The South West Regional Development Agency says that about £4.8 billion could be invested in the region’s renewable sector and this would create nearly 6,000 new employment opportunities.
Clare Gibson, the south-west RDA’s director of sustainable resources said that the recent Offshore Renewables Resource Assessment and Development report stresses the important role the marine renewable sector has to play in the future success of the area. Environmentally friendly electricity can be produced and this will help future employment and boost the economic growth of the south-west region.
The study showed that 9,220 megawatts of power could be generated by offshore wind, tidal and wave energy schemes in the south-west within the next 20 years. If the area fulfills its potential, it will create 5,750 new jobs, most of which will be involved with the operation and maintenance of wind farms and wave and tidal power stations.
The RDA has already managed the installation of the Wave Hub, a £42 million testing station for wave energy, situated off north Cornwall. It also helped to bring together researchers from the universities of Exeter and Plymouth to create the Peninsula Research Institute for marine Renewable Energy.
One of the projects that is currently in the pipeline is the Atlantic Array wind farm located off the north coast of Devon, which will include 350 turbines.
However, there are still ongoing concerns that the government’s immigration cap could hamper the UK’s ability to hire the qualified engineers necessary to fill renewable energy jobs.
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Image: Wind Park in the Haze by m.prinke
