Nearly 20 regional businesses are backing a trade mission to north Germany to explore opportunities in its offshore wind energy sector.
The four-day Team Humber Marine Alliance (THMA) mission in Hamburg and Bremerhaven, from April 15 to 18, includes meetings with AREVA Wind, E.ON Climate & Renewables, Mitsubishi Power Systems, Renewable Energy Hamburg and WeserWind, among others.
The German government has set targets to install more than 10,000MW of offshore capacity by 2020 and 25,000MW by 2030, while also replacing 20,500MW of nuclear energy by the end of 2022.
Mark O’Reilly, director at THMA , said: “The German offshore wind energy market represents a massive opportunity for businesses in this region who are ideally placed to capitalise on the country’s potential for growth.
“The strength of such a significant mission from Humber companies is a realisation on everyone’s part that we have the expertise here to make an impact in the German market.
“Yorkshire and the Humber has a vibrant manufacturing and engineering sector with the Humber in particular having a cluster of companies engaged in the marine sector.”
Companies and organisations on the mission include Alpha Energy, Andrew Jackson, Blackrow Engineering, Bostonair Energy, Dalby Offshore, DFDS Seaways, JR Rix Group, NAREC, North East Lincolnshire Council, P&O Ferries, Point Engineering, Premier Engineering, Tata Steel, the University of Hull’s CASS and Windpower Performance.
Between them, their offshore expertise includes: port operations, metal fabrication, support vessel operations, operations and maintenance, shipbuilding and repair, steel production, professional and marine services, and analysis, research and development.
“We hope to not only to use the four days in Germany as a fact-finding mission, but to build on established relationships, ” added Mr O’Reilly , who has organised the mission in conjunction with UK Trade and Investment Berlin.
“We would also like to host a reciprocal mission to the UK at some stage in 2013, which is the 50th anniversary of the twinning of Grimsby and Bremerhaven.”
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Press release, April 11, 2013; Image: areva