Chinese politicians and business people are looking to the Humber as they forge ahead with plans for 68GW of operational offshore wind capacity by 2035, the Team Humber Marine Alliance said.
Delegates from Yangjiang visited the region on 2 November and signed a letter of intent as part of a short tour of the UK to find business partners and learn from established regions and players in the industry.
Yangjiang is a coastal city on the South China Sea in southwest Guangdong Province, the most populous province in China. Of the 68GW planned for the province by 2035, 10GW of that is off the coast of Yangjiang. The city has already approved 1.3GW, will approve a further 1.7GW this year and another 7GW by 2020.
“The vision is for Yangjiang to serve as a hub not only in Guangdong, but also in neighbouring Fujian, Guangxi and Hainan. They have big ambitions, but little know-how, an appetite to learn and collaborate, but no established international links,” Mark O’Reilly , CEO of Team Humber Marine Alliance, one of the UK hosts and organiser of the Humber leg of the inward mission, said.
“This presents an excellent opportunity for established companies in the Humber region to promote their expertise and potentially contribute to Yangjiang’s ambitious targets. We firmly believe that the opportunities for the Humber’s offshore wind supply chain are global and they should seriously consider how our position as an international leader in the sector can help them trade internationally and achieve sustainable growth.”
Led by the Mayor of Yangjiang, the group of delegates comprised municipal authorities, developers, turbine manufacturers, and design institutes. They visited London to meet with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, the Department for International Trade and the China Britain Business Council as well as visiting Manchester.
The Humber element of their mission was hosted at ergo at Bridgehead Business Park, Hessle before a visit to Modal Training, Immingham and a fish docks tour in Grimsby. Representatives from the Humber LEP, Aura at the University of Hull, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Green Port Hull and Team Humber Marine Alliance presented to the delegates.