About BWEA31

BWEA31: Building an industry

Wind, wave and tidal energy are coming of age. They offer huge potential for economic growth and environmental protection through C02 reduction. And though obstacles exist on the road to industry establishment there are also massive opportunities.

Sessions broadly addressed offshore wind, onshore wind, wave & tidal energy, small wind systems, the Renewable Energy Strategy, financing renewables, jobs, skills & education, supply chain, aviation, planning, grid issues, operation & maintenance and more. The conference programme is available to view on this website.

Industry background

Today we have greater understanding that traditional methods of electricity generation pose a clear threat to our environment. We also see movement from the luxury of excess energy to less certainty about future sources. Renewable energy offers a solution to both.

In little over a decade more than £60 billion could be invested in the UK wind, wave and tidal energy sector, creating an industry that will help tackle climate change, meet the emerging energy gap, and provide thousands of new, highly skilled jobs as the supply chain grows to service the industry.

Wind energy

Wind has been the world's fastest growing renewable energy source for the last seven years, a trend expected to continue. Wind power now provides nearly 4 gigawatts (GW) of the UK's electricity, with another 16 GW at different stages of development. Last year the UK overtook Denmark as the largest offshore wind energy generator, and within five years wind is set to overtake UK nuclear energy in terms of generating capacity. With the UK committing to provide 15% of all its energy supplies from renewable sources by 2020, 35-40% of our electricity will have to be generated by renewables, 25 GW of which, will come from wind.

Wave and tidal energy

The UK has the best wave and tidal resource in Europe, an asset that has the potential to provide a considerable proportion of the UK power market in years to come. Coupled with a strong history of innovation, the UK has already produced some of the leading marine energy devices to date. These devices face a number of challenges before they can meet their potential and large-scale commercialisation, but the rewards will be great. Supporting innovation early is key to developing a globally competitive UK wave and tidal manufacturing industry.

About BWEA

BWEA is the UK's leading renewable energy trade association, specialising in the wind, wave and tidal stream energy industries. BWEA formed in 1978, and now has more than 540 corporate members ranging across the entire industry. Our primary purpose is to promote the use of wind, wave and tidal power in and around the UK.

We act as a central point for information for our membership and as a lobbying group for the sector to government, industry, media and the public. We research and find solutions to current issues and act as the forum for the industry, bringing key players together through working groups and events.

Members of BWEA range from small independent companies to the largest international corporations, providing us with a united and representative voice and offering our members fantastic networking opportunities.

To find out more about BWEA activities and membership visit www.bwea.com