South Wales and Western England “should be at the heart” of making the UK a Clean Energy Super Power, APPG told

MPs and Peers from across the region were joined by Chris Steel (Hydrogen South West) Tom Robinson (South West Nuclear Hub), Paul Ellsmore (Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult) and Victoria Parret (Renewables UK/Renewables Cymru) at an event held in the Houses of Parliament on 7 July.

Panellists discussed the strengths of the region across a number of clean energy industries, including nuclear, offshore and onshore wind, hydrogen and tidal energy. MPs and Peers were also told of potential opportunities in the region, including Crown Estate investment in floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, the development of a cross-border hydrogen ecosystem, the regional development of a skilled workforce in Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, and the potential for tidal lagoon developments in the Severn Estuary.

The event followed the publication of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, with its Clean Energy Industry Sector Plan setting out a target of doubling of investment in frontier clean energy industries to over £30 billion per year. Previous research by the Western Gateway identified clean energy as a comparative strength of the region, already providing 6% of the UK’s total clean energy capacity, with the potential to grow up to 20% of the total UK capacity.

Catherine Fookes MP, Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire, and Labour Co-Chair of the APPG commented:

“This Government has a mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, and the Western Gateway should absolutely play a key role as we progress towards this. It has the potential to create jobs and boost our regional economy, as well as helping us reach our broader climate goals.

It is always immensely valuable to hear from the experts who make this progress happen on the ground, and I appreciate the time taken by the panellists to share their knowledge and vision with the APPG.”

Lord Davies of Gower, Conservative Co-Chair of the APPG commented:

“The Western Gateway’s geography of South Wales and Western England has clear competitive strengths in Clean Energy across a number of technologies. The region should be at the heart of efforts to support the country’s transition to Net Zero, as well as benefiting the region’s economy by supporting and growing these clean energy industries.

“I would like to thank the panellists for taking their time to appear before the APPG, and we look forward to working with them to continue to raise the profile of the region in Westminster, and making others aware of the opportunities we have here.”

This roundtable was the first in a series of events held as a result of the APPG’s Call For Ideas, in which businesses, organisations and members of the public from across the region were invited to contribute suggestions for the APPG’s future work programme. Future events planned for this year include:

• October: The APPG will host the Institute for Directors and business leaders from across the region to discuss ways in which businesses can work with government on both sides of the border to drive regional investment
• December: The APPG will meet with representatives from the GW4 Alliance and SetSquared to discuss the region’s innovation ecosystem, unviersities’ roles in driving innovation and economic growth, and what more can be done to support spin-outs.

For further information about the work of the APPG, please follow them on X (formerly Twitter) at @APPG_WG.