Over the coming years, the South West has the potential of over £30 billion in inward investment into energy transition across the likes of floating offshore wind, carbon capture, battery storage, hydrogen and tidal.
We have, therefore, a critical role to play in energy security for the UK and also a huge opportunity to create long-term, well-paid, sustainable jobs. It will take education and industry to work in lock-step to realise this potential, and government will have a key role not just in helping to fund or pump prime some of these opportunities but in appropriate barrier busting too.
This conference, organised by the South West Business Council, will discuss these projects and the role of the supply chain, government and funders.
The keynote speaker will be Dan McGrail, Great British Energy interim CEO. Dan has been appointed to help drive forward the government’s Plan for Change and clean energy superpower mission. Great British Energy is owned by the British people, for the British people, and will own and invest in clean energy projects across the UK to create good, skilled jobs and growth.
Dan is currently the Chief Executive of RenewableUK, the trade association for businesses developing wind, wave, tidal, storage and green hydrogen projects in the UK, and their supply chain companies. He currently sits on the board for WindEurope and was also previously CEO of Siemens Engines and Managing Director of Siemens Power Generation.
The conference will be compered by SWBC Board Member, Justin Olosunde, Senior Funding and Investment Manager at West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.