The UK is one of the best places in the world to invest in renewable energy, offering significant supply chain opportunities across the sector.
Environment, Energy and Infrastructure
With projects totalling over £200bn – around 60% of the UK’s total infrastructure project pipeline – energy is a key part of this sector.The UK Continental Shelf remains an important prospect for oil and gas, with significant reserves remaining, and potential discoveries still to be made. Technology will continue to play a strong role in the future: the UK welcomes companies with experience of decommissioning and the safe development of shale onshore. A skilled and experienced energy labour pool of more than 600,000 people has grown up over many years to support the sector, with clusters spread across the UK, including within the Thames Valley.
The UK is committed to building a sustainable energy future, with regulatory and financial support measures to protect and provide attractive incentives to investors. Between 2010 and 2014, the value added from production of renewable energy activities more than doubled from £2.2bn to £4.5bn.
UK Capabilities in Renewable Energy
The environmental goods and services sector (EGSS) contributed £29bn to the UK economy in terms of value added (1.6% of GDP) and £61bn on a production output basis in 2014. In the same year, waste management activities accounted for the largest proportion of output at £12bn (20.9%), gross value added at £5bn (18.0%) and employment with 127,300 FTE jobs (34.1%) in 2014.
Infrastructure UK (IUK) and the Major Projects Authority (MPA) merged in 2016, bringing the government’s expertise, knowledge and skills at managing and delivering major economic projects under one roof for the first time.
The new organisation, called the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, combines government expertise in the financing, delivery and assurance of these projects, which include large scale infrastructure projects such as Crossrail and the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
The PwC and Oxford Economics report ‘Capital project and infrastructure spending: Outlook to 2025’ says that spending on UK infrastructure is forecast to increase to £110bn by 2025.
Output in the construction industry grew by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2017, rising for the fifth consecutive quarter. New housing experienced strong growth in March 2017, increasing month-on-month by 3.8% and quarter-on-quarter by 0.2%. In comparison with the same period in 2016, construction output grew by 2.4% in March 2017, representing the 12th consecutive period of month-on-year growth.
The UK Government’s new infrastructure and Projects
Thames Valley businesses
Thames Water is the UK’s largest water and wastewater services provider, supplying around 2,600m litres of tap water across London and the Thames Valley, with a history dating back to the early 1600s. In 2006, Thames Water was acquired by Kemble Water Limited who are 100 per cent owned by Kemble Water Holdings Limited.
Their Reading head office is home to their corporate teams, including Finance, HR, Communications, Environment, Sustainability, Strategy and Regulation and IT. Located next to the River Thames and Reading train station, it’s not just a convenient place to work but also an enjoyable location, with some of the greatest views of the river and playing fields and a fully serviced restaurant.
Their Operations Management Centre is located on Reading’s Green Park business centre, which has excellent links to major roads and public transport.
ELGA LabWater, an integral part of French owned Veolia Water Technologies, has a global revenue of €2.1bn and a worldwide team of 10,300 employees. It is renowned for its capabilities in providing water solutions of any size to customers throughout the entire water cycle, with all its UK needs serviced by its Thames Valley office.
ARANZ Geo products and services harness information to turn complex data into geological understanding, provide timely insight and give decision makers confidence. In 2016 this New Zealand based business opened its EMEA headquarters in the Thames Valley, with its UK Chief Operating Officer, Graham Grant saying: “We’re very committed to our customers and our new UK office will allow us to provide timely local training and support to our European Leapfrog customers. Our expert geologists will be able to readily share their knowledge to help these customers build their skills and capability to ensure they get the most out of Leapfrog. It’s also important for us to be close to London’s financial sector, as Leapfrog is a recognised tool for decision making and investment, not just by the world’s leading mining companies and geologically dependent industries, but also by investment houses.”
The UK offers opportunities for growth and high returns whether your business operates with traditional or emerging energy technologies. The UK is also one of the best places in the world to invest in renewable energy. To learn more, go to: https://invest.great.gov.uk/us/industries/energy/