With two Ministers both making powerful and highly significant statements, All-Energy got off to a flying start when the thirteenth in the annual series was held 22 and 23 May at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.
Rt Hon Ed Davey MP, Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was able to announce that: “New research by my Department estimates that, since 2010, across the UK, over £29 billion of private sector investment in renewables has been announced supporting almost 30,000 jobs. Many of these jobs are highly-skilled and well-paid positions and employees can be proud to be a part of securing the UK’s energy supply.” He added: “The commitment of the UK Government to a vision of a low carbon future is building up a bow wave of new jobs and investment in the economy.”
Fergus Ewing MSP, Minister of Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, Scottish Government was able to make several announcements including the first Renewable Energy Investment Fund (REIF) deal completed by the Scottish Investment Bank; the news that the Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) will now provide a bespoke programme of support for the wave sector to enable wave projects to get to the first array stage. The announcement was also made on All-Energy opening day that Scottish ministers have granted a licence to Aquamarine Power for a wave farm of up to 50 Oyster wave devices off the north west coast of Lewis.
“These two far-ranging speeches set a positive mood for last week’s event with its 606 exhibiting companies from home and overseas occupying 8,000m2 net; some 350 conference speakers in 56 sessions and show-floor seminar theatres and total attendance of 7,687 from 48 countries, with many of the first day attendees making a welcome return on the second giving us a cumulative attendance figure of 10,382,” explains Jonathan Heastie, Exhibition Director, Global Group Renewables and Alternative Energy of Reed Exhibitions Ltd.
“The quality of our attendees stayed strong with superb levels of attendance from senior management and engineers from key players throughout the sectors that together make up both sides of the buying:selling fence of the renewable energy industry.
“This undoubtedly led to the strong feeling of busy-ness within the exhibition, good attendance at conference sessions, evidence of successful networking at the Giant Networking Evening and complements reaching us via email and on Twitter.
“We introduced new features this year including more show-floor seminar theatres for those wanting a quick ‘take’ on key subjects – business energy efficiency, offshore wind, and wave and tidal; extended our visitor trails to help people find their way around the show; had ‘The Energy Hub’ meeting area, sponsored by The Crown Estate; and hosted an important regional meeting today where renewables groups from home and overseas shared their thoughts, successes and challenges. We plan to make this meeting an annual feature of All-Energy.
“Our top trails proved to be offshore and onshore wind – with a virtual tie; wave and tidal followed close behind, energy efficiency was in fourth place, solar energy in fifth, offshore maintenance was sixth, renewable heat seventh, jobs eighth, bioenergy ninth, investment tenth, hydropower eleventh, and low carbon transport twelfth.”
Attendees came from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, UK, and USA. The top six countries (after the UK) were Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Norway and the USA.
All-Energy is held in association with RenewableUK, Scottish Renewables, Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG), and UK Trade & Investment – who bought delegations from 22 countries to the show. It is supported by close on 30 government departments, develop0ment agencies, professional bodies and trade associations.
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Press release, June 20, 2013; Image: jppr