The Scope for Renewable Energy in Cumbria by Sir Martin Holdgate Cumbria is poised to make a substantial contribution towards Britain's renewable energy targets and create thousands of new skilled jobs in the process, a unique new study commissioned by Cumbria Vision has revealed.The Scope for Renewable Energy in Cumbria has been written by former Government energy advisor and environmental scientist Sir Martin Holdgate on behalf of Cumbria Vision's Renewable Energy Panel. It is believed to be the first study in Britain to identify the economic opportunities arising from renewable energy development at a county level.
It says Cumbria is poised to meet a third of its total energy needs from renewable sources by 2020, and double that by 2050. By 2050 the County could become a significant exporter of renewable energy with 5.5gigawatts** (5.5GW) of installed capacity, and meet the energy needs of over 300,000 people through a vibrant mix of wind, hydro, tidal, solar, geothermal and biomass. In turn this could create and safeguard in the region of 7,000 jobs and bring a significant boost to businesses and investors. Sir Martin stresses these impressive figures can be achieved without damaging Cumbria’s internationally-prized landscape, which is the major draw for the 16 million visitors who flock to the County each year. But most surprisingly the study has found some renewable sources with low individual outputs can bring great economic benefit to both businesses and communities. This fits perfectly with the County’s business profile, which is predominantly small to medium, and further bolstered by the fact Cumbria is already home to several renewable enterprises which are recognised leaders in their field. To view the full study click on the below PDF.
 The Scope for Renewable Energy in Cumbria
Sir Martin Holdgate, Chair of the Cumbria Renewables Panel, said: “It is widely accepted Britain must produce more renewable energy as part of our effort to tackle climate change and increase energy security. Cumbria has a major contribution to make to this national effort, and this study demonstrates just how much we could do without damaging our beautiful landscape and hurting our tourist industry.
“Many members of the Renewables Panel have contributed to the study and the findings have surprised most of us. For example, while offshore wind power could generate enough to meet over half the County’s energy needs by 2050 alone, it will not provide many jobs unless a turbine manufacturing industry is established here. On the other hand, smaller hydro, geothermal, biomass and solar developments may generate a modest amount of energy but could support thousands of jobs, especially as homes begin to supply their own heat and power from heat pumps, solar panels and other built in devices. There is also scope for considerable ‘greening’ of existing skills as fossil fuel industries switch to new sources, along with scope for entirely new jobs as a result of further research and development.” “This study is a snapshot of a dynamic landscape and therefore it is essential the public sector and businesses are flexible enough to adapt as new renewable energy sources emerge and existing sources evolve to meet new social demands. That way, we can help achieve the shared goal of a greener future for the nation and a more prosperous economy for Cumbria.”
Sir Martin is Chairman of the Cumbria Renewables Panel, established 18 months ago to advise the Board of economic development agency Cumbria Vision on all matters relating to the renewable energy sector. He and other members of the panel undertook the study to assess where greatest potential lies for renewable energy initiatives that will help boost Cumbria’s economy. The panel is complementary to other initiatives in the County such as Britain’s Energy Coast™.
For more information on the Cumbria Renewables Panel click here
For a profile of Sir Martin Holdgate click here
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The Scope for Renewable Energy in Cumbria predicts energy outputs and economic impact of seven renewable energy sources and sets them against the timescales of 2010, 2020 and 2050.
The 2050 scenario sees Cumbria generating enough wind energy to meet the needs of 300,000 people – mostly from offshore because the international importance of the Cumbrian landscape limits opportunities on land. However, this massive expansion would only support in the region of 500 jobs unless turbine manufacture can be based in the County, in turn helping to revitalise West Cumbria’s traditional manufacturing sector.
Tidal power also has huge potential, with a Solway Barrage in theory producing only slightly less than the much-publicised Severn Barrage, but sharing the same massive environmental challenges. Modest tidal schemes in the Solway, Duddon Estuary and Morecambe Bay not only have potential to produce more energy than onshore wind but bring much-needed improved communications links along Cumbria’s west coast.
The study not only looks at major engineering projects, but also identifies significant economic potential in small industries such as solar, geothermal, hydro – for which Cumbria is already a centre of expertise – and biomass, which includes woodfuel from undermanaged woodlands and gas from household and farm wastes.
These may generate less energy compared to offshore wind but could support 5,000 jobs and further boost the profile of Cumbrian businesses. And if homes switch from burning oil and gas to ground and air source heat pumps or using the sun for heat and power, the scope for manufacture and service industries could become great.
For the launch of The Scope for Renewable Energy in Cumbria a press release along with a series of briefing notes on individual renewable energy technologies were produced. They can be found below and viewed by simply clicking on the PDF.
Press Release: The Scope for Renewable Energy in Cumbria
PR: Wind
PR: Solar & Geothermal
PR: Hydro
PR: Biomass
PR: Tidal |
