Bristol City Council and Regen SW have launched their new partnership to cement Bristol’s position as a leading centre for offshore renewable energy by holding an inaugural Tidal Energy Forum at Bristol Port Company's offices at Avonmouth.

The forum brought together leading representatives from the tidal energy industry to discuss the future development of the tidal energy sector and the opportunity for Bristol to enhance its position as a centre for tidal energy research and technology development.

Bristol City Council Leader Barbara Janke said: "Bristol has a growing international reputation as a base for the renewable energy sector, attracting companies such as Vestas and LICenergy over the last year. It is therefore the right move for us to form this tidal energy partnership. We have the expertise, the natural resources and the ambitions to make Bristol and the South West the hub for offshore renewable energy in the UK."

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Merlin Hyman, Chief Executive of Regen commented: "Renewable energy is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy creating huge opportunities for business. This new partnership will enable us to work with Bristol City Council on our mission to support pioneering renewable energy projects with thriving local supply chains."

As well as hearing about the huge potential energy resources which could be harnessed in the Bristol channel, the industry delegates heard presentations from leading technology developers and industry experts including; Tidal Energy Limited, Pulse Tidal, Marine Current Turbines, Parsons Brinkerhoff, Bristol University and Garrad Hassan. Highlights included the very exciting plans outlined by Martin Murphy, MD of Tidal Energy Limited, to deploy a 1.2 MW demonstration tidal turbine at a high energy site in Ramsey Sound, and the equally ambitions plans to deploy Pulse Tidal’s latest technology at a test site off North Devon.

Overall the forum concluded that while Bristol is already recognised as a centre for technology development, more could be done to promote the commercialisation of the industry. The call for action included support for collaborative research, identifying demonstration and early deployment sites for tidal technologies and crucially working together with other regional partners in Wales, Cornwall and across the South West.

(CD/GK)