East Anglia’s energy sector headed to London to join the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR)’s House of Commons Reception at the Terrace Pavilion. 

In addition to key players representing major developers in the region (including ScottishPower Renewables, Sizewell C, Ørsted, Vattenfall, Equinor, and the National Grid), several Members of Parliament attended the event, including Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, and Brandon Lewis, MP for Great Yarmouth. 

Peter Aldous, MP for Waveney, opened the reception stating, “there is nowhere like the East of England for doing energy, and being in the forefront of the drive towards zero carbon. We’ve got it all.”

Mr Aldous went on to discuss the successes of the region in the last few years, including the Sizewell C project, offshore wind developments, the exciting prospect of hydrogen, and the unique opportunity the Bacton Gas Terminal presents: “The East of England can be a global exemplar of how to do zero carbon.” 

The MP also highlighted challenges facing the region, urging government to look at how valuable time lost during the planning process can be mitigated and made a plea to local communities to “work together” with industry to  elevate the region as a “global leader”. 

Mr Aldous concluded with a clear message: “Partnership working is vital. We need to be coming together and working via a clear policy framework.” 

Following the MP’s speech, Gillian Noble, Managing Director Offshore Development and Operations at ScottishPower Renewables (SPR), took to the podium to discuss what their East Anglia Hub project would do for not only the region but also the UK: “It will generate enough renewable electricity for up to 2.5 million homes, creating over 7,000 jobs. From now until 2030, SPR will invest £6 billion across the region.” 

Tom McGarry, Head of Regional External Affairs and Development for EDF’s Sizewell C (SZC) project followed, and heralded 2022 as a year of, “progress, achievement, and acceleration” for Britain’s new nuclear power station.

Mr McGarry discussed the initiatives being put in place to reduce the impact of the core construction on the local community. This included the placement of apprenticeships from Suffolk into roles at Hinkley Point C in anticipation of targeting 1,500 apprenticeships for the SZC project. 

With over £10 million worth of contracts already committed to East of England companies - £2 million in Suffolk alone – he echoed his peers’ earlier calls for collaboration with EEEGR and government to elevate the East of England as an “international example that will deliver a just transition to a cleaner and better future for all”. 

Luke Bridgman, Senior EPC Project Director at Ørsted: “The East of England is an exciting place for Ørsted. It’s home to our Hornsea 3 project and will become the world’s single biggest offshore wind farm when finished in 2027. With a capacity of 2.8 GW, it will power up to 2.3 million UK homes. Hornsea 3 will contribute significantly to Ørsted’s 30 GW by 2020 vision, and government’s ambition of having 50 GW of offshore wind installed by 2030 as part of the British Security Strategy.”

Rob Anderson, Project Director for Vattenfall’s Norfolk Vanguard and Boreas Offshore Wind Farms: “The good news is, [the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone is] all based in East Anglia. That’s over 10 GW of power that’s right there. It will bring lots of opportunities across the region, and we are engaging early with young people across the region as well as engaging actively through EEEGR and East Wind. […] There are head winds – we’ve seen cost increases, increased interest rates, and volatile supply chains. These need to be addressed early.”

Matei Negrescu, Vice President for Renewables at Equinor: “The East of England is where it all started for us in the offshore wind industry. It’s here that we developed our first wind farm, Sheringham Shoal, in 2011, followed by Dudgeon in 2017. Great Yarmouth is the home of our O&M base. […] We look to continue to collaborate with the Department for Business, Energy, and Industry, OFGEM, and more to futureproof the UK to deliver net zero targets.” 

Chris Bennett, Director for UK Regulation at National Grid: “We recognise the critical role we play in facilitating the transition to a cleaner, greener, and more affordable energy system. […] The move to renewables has never been more important, and the East of England is the heart of that. […] We shouldn’t underestimate the scale of the task ahead of us […] This will take all of us working together, and we are keen to work with everyone to support delivery of clean, affordable, and sustainable energy transition.” 

Attendees also heard from David Dukes from GENERATE and Jenny Morgan from Seaway7 throughout the event.
 
Overall, the event had a running theme of the East of England being a hub for investment, skills, apprenticeships, and benefits to the supply chain. The impact of projects will be huge. The East of England is a unique place, with the opportunity to become the energy exemplar of the UK, and EEEGR is spearheading work with developers, operators, the supply chain, and government to champion this within the region.