Falmouth docks gears up for energy industry (From Falmouth Packet)

Falmouth docks gears up for energy industry

3:30pm Wednesday 10th March 2010

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The A&P Group, owners of Falmouth docks, is gearing up for a major stake in the burgeoning marine renewable energy industry.

The company – a leader in ship repair and port operations – sees new opportunities for its operations on the Tyne and at Falmouth where its steel fabrication and assembly facility is close to the Wave Hub, the UK’s groundbreaking renewable energy project at Hayle, Cornwall.

Chris Bell, A&P’s Group MD, said: “Our interest is in the fabrication engineering, assembly and deployment of future devices to generate renewable energy from wave power. The industry is in its infancy and we have a great resource for making these prototypes.

“A&P Tyne has one of the UK's largest port side fabrication facilities, which is currently employed in the construction of the new aircraft carrier sections for the UK MOD. With a core business of vessel conversion the yard has a track record of providing complex vessel conversions and maintenance for the offshore construction industry.” Drystan Jones, of A&P Group, was among more than 500 government and industry professionals who attended the recently held Renewables UK Wave and Tidal Conference at London’s QEII Centre. A&P Group was one of about 40 companies, active in the UK wave and tidal stream energy sector, taking part in an accompanying exhibition.

The Wave Hub project, occupying eight square kilometres of sea bed, linked to a sub-station, will be a testing ground for many different devices being developed in the UK to harness renewable energy from the ocean.

Said Drystan Jones: “With our group fabrication and assembly facilities and our Falmouth yard offering the nearest deep water port facility to Wave Hub we look forward to establishing the A&P Group as a leading player in this new industry".

A&P Falmouth has also agreed a joint, two-year project with the Peninsula Research Institute for Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMaRE) to research energy from the sea. The Institute is based at Exeter University’s Tremough Campus at Penryn.

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