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The Association for Consultancy and Engineering today welcomed the Prime Minister’s backing for a European supergrid. This will link energy capacity across northern Europe, bringing together energy capacity and demand across borders.
Thousands of miles of under-sea cables will link electricity networks across the North Sea, Irish Sea and the Baltic. This would help foster further development of renewable energy by helping to overcome the problem of intermittency.
Nelson Ogunshakin OBE, ACE chief executive, said: “This bold step is good news for the renewable energy industry in the UK. It is also good news for the wider energy sector as a whole. The UK is the largest producer of offshore energy in Europe and capacity is now increasing rapidly. However, the government should now ensure that necessary reforms to planning processes take place to further support the growth of this vital industry and also keep the UK ahead of its market competitors.
“Energy capacity is a major issue across Europe and increasing the use of renewable sources means resolving concerns over the base load and intermittency. ACE’s 2010 State of Business survey confirmed that energy is set to be a key market both in the UK and internationally in the coming years. The UK’s engineering sector is well positioned to play a central role in developing the supergrid and boosting the UK’s reputation for low carbon energy.”
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For media inquiries please contact Gavin Pearson (020 7202 0255) (gpearson@acenet.co.uk)
Notes to Editors.
The UK Nordic Baltic Summit from which these plans have emerged brings together the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The UK is also working with Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, France, Norway and Belgium on the North Seas Offshore Grid Initiative.
Images are available on request.
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