Marine energy partnership agreement

​The Channel Islands and the South West of England have signed an agreement to work together in the development of marine renewable energy projects.

 

Representatives from the South West Marine Energy Park (SWMEP) and the Channel Islands Marine Energy Group (CIMREG) met in London at the International Tidal Energy Summit last week and yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding.

 

 

The agreement outlines a commitment to work together for the benefit of the marine renewable energy sector, sharing information and supporting initiatives that will increase the amount of installed megawatts of technology and create new jobs. It also brings together organisations with academic, technical and industrial expertise in marine renewable energy.

 

The agreement was signed by Peter Kydd (Director of strategic consulting at Parsons Brinckerhoff and the chair of the SWMEP) and by a representative of each island, the Planning and Environment Minister Deputy Rob Duhamel;  Guernsey’s Deputy Minister for Commerce and Employment, Deputy Al Brouard; the chair of Alderney’s Policy Committee Francis Simonet, and Conseiller Andrew Bache, from Sark’s General Purposes and Advisory Committee.

 

 

Deputy Duhamel said “I am delighted to be able to work alongside the other Channel Islands and our colleagues in the South West on renewable energy. There is no doubt that in the future the right project could bring significant environmental and economic benefits to the whole region and it is essential that we all work together to ensure that we achieve the best possible outcome in the long term.”

 

The first step under this new agreement will be to meet at the next Bristol Tidal Energy Forum in March 2014, a key, industry led event. CIMREG will bring a delegation to the conference and will be invited to present to over a hundred key organisations in the South West marine energy sector.

 

The Channel Islands Renewable Energy Group (CIMREG) was formed in 2012 under a Joint Statement of Intent between the governments of the Channel Islands agreeing to work together to promote marine renewable energy. The South West England Marine Energy Park (SWMEP) was established by the UK Government in 2012 to support and accelerate the commercial development of the marine energy sector in the UK.