French Businesses Visit UK Offshore Wind Industry

French Businesses Visit UK Offshore Wind Industry

The renewable energy sector in Britain offers many opportunities to connect French and British companies in this field.

The French Chamber of Commerce in Great-Britain organised on 18 & 19 of October, a trade mission in partnership with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Normandy, Brittany and North of France (members of the CCI International network). Speakers from leading British energy companies and related fields including EDF Renewable Energy, Areva, Alstom and Atkins Global presented future projects and opportunities for collaboration.

During the course of one afternoon 109 surgery sessions or b2b meetings were organised between the 16 French businesses and 22 British companies and representatives of French companies in the UK.

The next day saw the French delegation welcomed in Ramsgate by Thanet & East Kent Chamber of Commerce and its Co-president, Laura Sandys MP, Co-Chair All Party Parliamentary Green Deal Group, Parliamentary Secretary to Greg Barker MP, Minister of State at the Department of Energy & Climate Change. The first offshore wind farm in the world was at the centre of the discussions with presentations from Vatenfall and Dong energy including mentions of the new London Array wind farm for which the 177th, and final transition piece, was installed at London Array on Friday marking the completion of all foundations at the offshore project

The United Kingdom is Europe’s leading manufacturer in the production of offshore wind power with the highest production capacity of 6840MW. It plans to achieve 2GW by 2020, when 15% of the British energy will be projected to come from renewable resources, and this objective will open new opportunities to companies in this sector.

[mappress]

Press release, October 30, 2012; Image: alpha-ventus