French power services firm Areva has said it is unlikely East Anglia would be used as a base for a proposed UK manufacturing plant.
However, the firm said no decision had yet been made and that the region would be a key area for the installation, maintenance and operation market.
Andrew Fox, Areva’s business relationship manager, was speaking at the EEEGR2012 conference in Ipswich, Suffolk, this week.
About 250 delegates also heard from Dong Energy, the Fred Olsen Group and the Crown Estate about the changing and developing offshore opportunities which will be a key focus of the region over future decades.
“There are many things we will be looking for in this area and all along the East Coast – including the supply of components and support in the installation and operations and maintenance market,” said Mr Fox.
“What we want you to do is think how you can supply us competitively.”
Tim Johnson, procurement contract manager for Dong Energy, said they would be looking for a reliable UK supply chain to support them in windfarm projects around the coast including Gunfleet Sands and London Array. They had invested £4.2billion in the UK to date
“We have massive plans for the UK and we need UK companies to give us a reliable supply chain for the future, particularly from 2016 onwards,” he said. “Without it we will not succeed.”
But he warned that there must be a realistic and competitive approach. The toughest challenge was to bring down energy costs but still ensure that everyone made a profit.
Ipswich MP Ben Gummer said that from a public, and Government, point of view the cost of energy and its sustainability was the major issue.
But that the Government needed to listen carefully: “We haven’t yet produced the support the industry wants so we need to know from you exactly what that is. It’s frustrating for us all.”
For the first time, there was a Skills for Energy session at the conference to focus minds on one of the critical issues for the industry’s future – the need for more training and recruitment of existing skills.
The evolving decommissioning and marine supply chain sectors also came under the spotlight, along with new build projects for the region.
Simon Gray, new chief executive of EEEGR, told delegates the association had an essential role to play as the region sought benefits from £30billion of energy investment plans over the next five years.
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