"A huge energy-fuelled economic opportunity" - global scale projects in East Anglia discussed at SNS2022

The Southern North Sea Conference 2022 is the flagship event of East of England energy group EEGR and will draw more than 1300 people to the Norfolk Showground Arena in Norwich on Wednesday and Thursday.

The event takes place in the wake of some major energy announcements underlining the growing contribution of the East of England to energy generation for the UK as a whole.

Martin Dronfield, the executive chair of EEGR said: “Our region, the East of England, the Integrated Energy Region, stands on the edge of a huge energy-fuelled economic opportunity as the UK and the world moves along the transition to clean energy,

“We are close to securing a hattrick of positive global scale energy development decision in our region, having seen already seen the Vattenfall Boreas and Vanguard offshore wind farms and the Scottish Power Renewables East Anglia Hub offshore wind farm get DCO consent, we now await news from the Secretary of State on Sizewell C’s future with hopeful anticipation.

“As a result, EEEGR’s Southern North Sea (SNS) conference couldn’t be better timed, and is the first major face-to-face event in the region to be held post Covid19, exhibitors are ready, speakers are primed, and delegates are excited to attend and hear about the opportunities the sector has to offer.”

Senior speakers from the energy sector, supply businesses and organisation and beyond will focus not only on the opportunities but the challenges the sector faces.

The major challenges include particularly developing the infrastructure onshore, with the need for new power substations and cables or pylons and the like and meeting current gaps in skills that the energy sector of today and of tomorrow needs.

Martin Dronfield, the new chair of EEEGR's Offshore Wind Supply Chain Special Interest Group. Picture: TMS Media. (Image: Archant)

Mr Dronfield added: “With an experienced supply chain of cross sector enabled talent at the ready and an ability to deliver across the entire energy sector the region is uniquely positioned to capitalise on the abundant opportunities ahead.

“EEEGR’s SNS conference will look to rally the industry to work together and ensure our messaging is co-ordinated and strong, and aimed at central government to ensure recognition in Westminster of the vital role the East of England’s region can play on a national energy stage”.

In recent months key steps forward for energy generation included the full go ahead for the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone. The approval of the Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm in February together with the approval for the sister windfarm the Norfolk Boreas in December 2021 mark an important step forward for offshore power generation in the region.

Those approvals add to the expansion of Scottish Power Renewables East Anglia Hub, off the Suffolk coast south of Lowestoft.

The adding of this further scale in offshore wind generation will bring further national and international focus, skills and business and employment opportunities to Norfolk and Suffolk and the wider East of England area.

One major announcement that was expected to coincide with the conference and exhibition was that concerning the go ahead of the planned Sizewell C nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast.

But the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced on May 12 that the decision would be postponed until July 8, to give more time to consider all the information received about the plans for the development.

The department has asked for further information on issues including transport, water supply and wildlife.

Rob Bush, operations manager of EEGR said: “With the big projects that have or we are confident will be consented by the middle of the year – that includes Vattenfall’s Norfolk Zone Vanguard and Boreas, Scottish Power Renewables East Anglia Hub, and then coming on the back of that Sizewell C – the opportunities in the region for the supply chain are huge.

“Those are the ones that have and are being consented but there is also the stuff that is going on behind the scenes and might be consented later. You’ve got strong focus that is now being put on hydrogen Bacton Energy project, Project Rise down in Lowestoft which will be the first small scale hydrogen electrolyser project in the area.

“You've also got huge potential for solar power in the area and then geothermal which is also making some really strong noises looking at community heating and community power projects. So right across the piste, the East of England is going to have integrated energy at the very core of its supply chain.

“To be able to do that we’ve got an extremely well-adapted, nimble supply chain that can offer its services across those major projects and the ones that are being brought through and for the next three to five years.”

Robert Bush, Score project manager. Picture: TMS Media Ltd. (Image: © TMS Media Ltd)

As the two-day event will highlight, there simply isn’t another area of the UK that has the range of depth of sources of energy generation that the East of England now has.

“The north east has a huge potential in offshore wind – but that’s it. Scotland, again, is coming through and it’s got a bit more of a mix obviously there with the oil and gas history that it’s got. The East coast is the only region of the UK that has offshore wind, nuclear of scale, oil and gas and the other breadth of projects that I have just mentioned coming up behind it.”

One energy generation area in which the East of England has been light until recently is hydrogen but that is starting to develop with projects including the approved Conrad Energy plan for a 3MW hydrogen electrolyser and associated storage plant at Lowestoft Power Park.

How to deliver the potential of all of these projects and meet the challenge they present should take a step forward in the SNS2022 event over the next two days.