Environmental Technologies
With a high tidal range and strong tidal
currents, the South West is a natural location for tidal renewable
energy; the long coastline and the exposed moors provide a number
of ideal locations for wind turbines and the relatively clear
atmosphere and southerly location are well suited for solar energy
generation.
The South West has the potential to generate
significant amounts of electricity and heat from renewable energy.
For example, the region has some of the best wave energy resources
in Europe, with suggestions that it could produce 10% of the
government's onshore wind energy production targets for 2010.
The sector includes:
- Air Pollution Control
- Environmental Consultancy Services
- Water Treatment (including wastewater)
- Energy Management
- Renewable Energy
- Noise & Vibration Control
- Waste Management / Recovery & Recycling
- Marine Pollution Control
- Contaminated Land Remediation
- Environmental Monitoring & Analysis
- Technology for Sustainable Land Use &
Management
Business
Environmental technologies is one of the
fastest growing sectors in the region. It consists of around 1,300
enterprises, employs over 20,000 people and contributes around
£1,300 million to the South West economy. Estimates say that the
economy associated with the environment has the potential to
develop a further 39,000 jobs and £670 million of additional output
over the next few years.
Regional expertise
University expertise is helping to ensure that
the region is first for supporting the growth of the environment
technologies industry through leading research and consultancy,
high quality training and development, business focussed students
and laboratories and renewable energy test beds.
South West Universities have extensive expertise in Environment
Technology (ET) and the level of skills in ET businesses is very
high, with approximately 80% of ET companies employing graduates
and over 50% employing postgraduates.
The Peninsula Research Institute for Marine
Renewable Energy (PRIMaRE) is a joint venture between the
Universities of Exeter and Plymouth and will combine the existing
research excellence of Exeter in renewable energy and environmental
technologies with Plymouth’s expertise in marine science and
coastal engineering.
The South West RDA’s £28 million investment in Wave Hub is an example of regional
focus on essential technology that requires cross-sectoral
expertise. Wave Hub is a project to build a giant electric socket
on the seabed 10 miles off the north coast of Cornwall. It will be
connected to the National Grid, which provides sub-sea capability
for Wave Energy Conversion, allowing the trial of full-scale
devices at sea whilst at the same time supplying energy to the
grid. This is important both in terms of the trial of the devices
and the supporting work on environmental impact and influence. The
work on Wave Hub is supported by the extensive marine and
environmental research strengths in the region, including
PRIMaRE.