The Caithness Energy Alliance Returns To The All Energy Exhibition 2008
18th May 2008
All Energy 2008 is on the 21st and 22nd May at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.
The Caithness Energy Alliance, formed last year to promote a range of skills to compete for work in the onshore and marine renewable energy market, aims to market the advantages of the Caithness area, its renewable energy resources, industrial track record and the skills available.
Following the success at last years' All Energy conference the alliance will return to Aberdeen this week to showcase the range of skills available in the area. The Caithness stand will provide an opportunity to access the market with many of the key organisations involved in renewable energy in attendance.
In partnership with Pentland Alliance (UKAEA, CH2MHILL and AMEC), the Caithness Energy Alliance held a conference in Edinburgh's Dynamic Earth in February which was attended by over 180 delegates including MSP's, Government Organisations, trade unions, Caithness companies and renewable energy developers. The First Minister Alex Salmond provided the key note speech; he showed his support to the development of Caithness potential.
The conference chair, Lord Maclennan of Rogart, former MP for Caithness and Sutherland, told delegates that the Government must make upgrading the electricity grid in the North of Scotland a national strategic priority. He said: "Marine energy could be Caithness's equivalent of the Californian gold rush, exploiting natural resources for economic gain. The potential in the North is vast."
Tocardo Tidal Energy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tocardo BV, which has a 12-year track record in developing tidal energy devices. In July 2007 they established an office base at New Park's technology park at Forss to further its interest in the Pentland Firth. Following completion of a successful feasibility study, Tocardo have confirmed plans to establish a long-term base in the area. Managing director Hans van Breugel said: "This is a start of something really good and big for Caithness and a major step forward in developing the tidal energy industry locally". Tocardo intend to start work on the new 10-megawatt plant by the end of this year and have it in the water in early 2009.
Simon Middlemas, Managing Director, Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd said "DSRL, in support of the NDA, are pleased to support attendance of the Alliance at the All Energy conference. It is a massive conference and provides a useful outlet to showcase many of the excellent local engineering companies who have contributed to the successful delivery of our decommissioning programme and have the ability to diversify into the renewables market."
Louise Smith, previously convenor for the Caithness Energy Alliance and now Project Manager with the Pentland Firth Tidal Energy Project said; "Caithness and Sutherland is an ideal location for the development, design, fabrication and export of marine energy technologies, with the appropriate environmental and regulatory justifications. The natural and significant energy resource provided by the Pentland Firth, combined with the scientific, technical and engineering skills becoming available as the Dounreay nuclear establishment moves towards closure, could, we believe, be successfully harnessed to create an employment-generating centre for wave and tidal energy".
Fiona Henderson, Halcrow Group Limited added; "It's great to be going back to Aberdeen, the Alliance has grown and developed into a strong group of companies offering a wide range of quality services to the renewables sector. I hope attendance at All Energy will assist in our quest to get Caithness's unique natural resources and business capabilities widely and strongly appreciated by the renewables community".
The Caithness Energy Alliance stand is sponsored by Highland and Island Enterprise, Pentland Alliance and Dounreay Site Restoration Limited. A whisky tasting at 5pm on Wednesday is courtesy of Inver House Distilleries.
For more information please visit the Caithness Energy Alliance All Energy stand (B50). Or call Fiona Henderson (vice-chair) on 01641 521763.
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All Energy 2008
Region's renewables companies gear up for All Energy 08
With just days to go before the UK's only show devoted to renewable energy gets underway on 21st and 22nd May, Highlands and Islands businesses are gearing up to showcase some of the best of the region's talent.
Joining the 380 companies and trade bodies from across the globe at this year's All-Energy exhibition will be more than 30 from the region which is gaining international recognition for its ground-breaking renewable energy projects.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will be exhibiting with 25 others on the HI-energy pavilion. Other companies from the region will be exhibiting elsewhere at the show, including the Caithness Alliance stand and the H208 hydrogen pavilion.
The Highlands and Islands region has some of the world's best natural resources for renewable energy. In addition to this, the area is home to the world's first grid-connected marine energy test centre in Orkney, the world's first deep-water offshore wind project, and the OpenHydro tidal device at EMEC is likely to be the first grid-connected tidal energy converter when it is connected in Spring/Summer 2008.
Other ground-breaking developments can be found at: Glendoe, where the UK's largest contemporary hydro scheme is being constructed; Unst, Shetland, where the PURE Energy Centre demonstrates hydrogen fuel cell technology; and Ross-shire where Balcas has just begun building a biomass manufacturing plant.
Anna Allan, senior development manager at HIE's energy team says: "It's never been a more exciting time to be involved in the development of renewable technologies.
"This region is gaining a global reputation and with good reason as it is home to a number of great companies and truly pioneering projects such as the Beatrice offshore wind project and the wave and tidal testing at EMEC.
"We are delighted to see a record number of Highlands and Islands companies attending this year. All Energy is the ideal place to tell the rest of the world what the Highlands and Islands has to offer in terms of renewable energy resource, infrastructure and a highly skilled local supply chain."
HI-energy is the brand that was established by HIE in partnership with industry and other public sector organisations to represent the growing renewable energy industry in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. For further information, visit www.hi-energy.org.uk
