Time:11am – 5pm
Location: University Plymouth
In conjunction with the University of Plymouth SWBC will deliver a conference covering the de-carbonisation agenda.
De-carbonising the UK
Energy transition represents a significant opportunity for the South West to create environmentally focussed, well-paid and long-term jobs but it will take a “systems-thinking” approach.
In conjunction with the University of Plymouth the South West Business Council will deliver a conference covering the de-carbonisation agenda on the 25th of September at the University.
During the day we will seek to explore:
- The importance of “systems thinking” when it comes to de-carbonisation.
- How we create the talent pipeline to meet skills requirements needed.
- There will also be options to explore some of the Universities’ key laboratories including the hugely impressive wave tank facility.
Speakers and panellists will include:
- The University of Plymouth
- The National Grid
- The Crown Estate
- Celtic Sea Power
- City College Plymouth
- South Devon College
- Carlton Power
- RenewableUK
- EDF
- Exeter College
- SWBC
- 1Energy
- Wales & West Utilities
Conference Details:
- Date: Wednesday 25th September 2024
- Location: Rolle Plaza Marquee, The University of Plymouth
- Time: 11:00 AM to 17:00 PM
Logistics:
Rolle Plaza Marquee is in the centre of campus as per the attached map, which is also on our website. The University campus is a 10-minute walk from Plymouth Train Station. There is no parking onsite, except for blue badge holders (please notify us in advance). There are various pay and display options within a 5-10 minute walk including Drake Circus and Regent Street car parks.
Agenda:
11:00 – 11:45 – Demo 1 – delegates to visit the Babbage Facility – Dr Anthony Robotham,
11:00 – 11:45 – Demo 2 – delegates to visit the Wave Tank Facility – TBC
12:00 – 12:45 – Delegate Lunch
13:00 – 13:05 – Welcome to the conference – Paul Coles
13:05 – 13:10 – Welcome to the University of Plymouth – Prof. Kevin Jones
13:10 – 13:30 – Speaker Presentation – TBC
13:30 – 14:10 – Panel Event: Decarbonising the UK – the importance of systems thinking. Chaired by The University of Plymouth (Kevin Forshaw), with panellists from Celtic Sea Power (Steve Jermy), The Crown Estate (Gareth Bradford), Carlton Power (Eric Adams), University of Plymouth (Prof. Lars Johanning and Prof. Ian Bailey).
14:10 – 14:35 – Jane Cooper, RenewableUK: The Roles of Renewable UK
14:35 – 14:55 – Coffee Break
14:55 – 15:20 – Dr Sian Rees, University of Plymouth: Nature-Based Solutions including Blue Carbon/Carbon Stores
15:20 – 16:00 – Panel Event: How do we produce the talent pipeline to maximise the decarbonisation opportunity? Chaired by The University of Plymouth (Prof. John Curnow), with panellists from, The Crown Estate (Pete Lawrence), South Devon College (Laurence Frewin), City College (Jackie Grubb), EDF, (Cat Mills), Exeter College, (Richard Church)
16:00 – 16:25 – Paul Barker & Jeremy Bungey from 1Energy
16:25 – 16:50 – Emily Taylor from National Grid
16:50 – 17:00 – Summation from UoP and conference close – Rich Adams, UoP and Paul Coles, SWBC
Tours:
Delegates will need to register at the Rolle Marquee for the tours at approx 10:30/10:45.
Babbage Building’s newly refurbished specialist labs include digital design, engineering and fabrication, nanomaterials and devices, and clean rooms (class 100 and class 100,000), an energy & sustainability lab (inc. Wind Tunnel, Vehicle Dyno Cell), and an immersive visualisation suite. (Max 20 spaces)
Marine Building houses the COAST Lab’s flumes and an ocean basin that enables physical modelling experiments with wind, waves, and currents. As well as the Maritime Simulation Lab enabling research and collaboration that includes port development, maritime carbon budgeting, offshore renewables, clean maritime, and more. (Max 15 spaces)
Tours will finish around 1145 with lunch being served in the Rolle Marque from 1200 – 1245.
Kindly Sponsored By:
Exeter Energy Network
Exeter Energy is investing over £100m to develop a low-to-zero carbon heat network across the centre of Exeter, providing reliable low carbon heat for organisation and residents to decarbonise their heating systems.
The Network will reduce carbon emissions by over 13,000t per year, and will improve air quality across the city by removing individual gas boilers in properties. It will create local employment in this exciting, rapidly growing industry.
Dr Antony Robotham, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Plymouth
Dr Antony Robotham is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering and the Project Lead for the new Babbage facilities overseeing the development of the specialist laboratories and managing an £11m budget for the procurement of new equipment on behalf of the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics.
Professor Kevin Jones, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, University of Plymouth
Professor Kevin Jones is currently Professor of Computing Science and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation at the University of Plymouth. As DVC R&I, Kevin provides institution-wide strategic leadership, driving and supporting research excellence, innovation and impact whilst promoting interdisciplinary research, as well as driving and overseeing business ventures and collaboration, and international research partnerships.
Preceding his move to the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Kevin was the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Plymouth, responsible for the Schools of Engineering, Computing & Mathematics, Biological & Marine Sciences and Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences.
Commodore (Rtd) Steven Jermy RN, CEO, Celtic Sear Power
Steve is CEO at Celtic Sea Power. an arm’s length Cornwall Council company whose mission is to lead industrial development of Cornwall’s floating offshore wind sector. In his 1st career, his naval experience included ships diving, fishery protection, offshore aviation, underwater operations, sea training, command of 4 ships and senior appointments in the MoD policy departments and Afghanistan. In his 2nd career, he worked for Mojo Maritime Ltd and James Fisher Group plc, on floating offshore wind, wave and tidal energy projects, before leading the conversion to floating offshore wind, and then the international sale, of the Wave Hub project in Cornwall. Steve is a Chartered Marine Technologist, a Fellow of the Nautical Institute and Institute of Marine Engineers, Scientists and Technologists, and Chair of the Celtic Sea Cluster.
Gareth Bradford, The Crown Estate, Director of Strategic Business Development
Gareth Bradford Gareth Bradford is Director of Strategic Business Development at the Crown Estate where he is responsible for business development across the organisation including ensuring the ambitious strategy and purpose of the Crown Estate is delivered in an integrated impactful way through its work in places, on delivering landmark projects and developing new and strengthening existing partnerships.
Prior to joining the Crown Estate Gareth was Executive Director of Housing, Property and Regeneration at the West Midlands Combined Authority managing a £1bn programme of brownfield regeneration and housing delivery and investment projects, negotiating with Government for new funding and powers under devolution and leading on key strategic partnerships.
Eric Adams, Strategic Development Lead of Hydrogen Development Platform, Carlton Power
Eric leads the strategic development of the Carlton Power hydrogen development platform, overseeing three schemes that have secured contracts under HAR1. He plays a pivotal role in fostering relationships with stakeholders to pinpoint early opportunities for deploying green hydrogen schemes for industry in the UK, aimed at delivering early hydrogen solutions in key areas. Eric also spearheads efforts to engage delivery partners across the entire hydrogen production chain.
Professor Lars Johanning, Associate Head of School (Research), University of Plymouth
Professor Lars Johanning is the Associate Head of School (Research) at the University of Plymouth and has been involved in research on hydrodynamic related topics for marine structures since 1997. He is a leading researcher with international recognition in the field of ocean energy and technology with a focus towards hydrodynamics and station keeping systems. His extensive international experience includes over four years working on ORE technologies in China.
Professor Johanning’s research has included loading and dynamic response of mono-towers in steep and breaking waves, hydrodynamic and reliability studies on station keeping systems for offshore renewable energy devices, and hydrodynamic analysis supporting the development of aquaculture systems. He has leading roles on the Industrial Doctoral Centre for Offshore Renewable and the Horizon 2020 project OPERA and has led the development of the Falmouth Bay marine energy test site, which has seen the successful deployment of the Fred Olsen and Polygen wave energy device.
Dr Sian Rees, Associate Head of School (Research) for the School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth
Dr Sian Rees is Associate Head of School (Research) for the School of Biological and Marine Sciences and is a marine scientist working in marine conservation, marine management, and policy. I have a strong record of achievement in social and economic research methods to define the marine social-ecological system at a variety of scales. To extend the impact of my research I work closely with statutory nature conservation agencies, NGOs, government departments and international organisations.
Dr Rees leads the Marine Social Science Research Unit and is an Advisory Group Member for DEFRA’s Marine Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment.
Professor John Curnow, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience, University of Plymouth
Professor John Curnow is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience at the University of Plymouth, having joined the institution in July 2022 from the University of Birmingham where he was Director of Education for the College of Medical and Dental Sciences as well as being a leading researcher in immunology.
His ambitions are to ensure that all students are inspired to realise their potential and equip them with the skills, knowledge and values required by employers and society. John is passionate about the opportunities in the South West, working with a network of partners FE Colleges to support access to HE, and with employers to ensure that graduates have the skills required for the future workforce. Since his arrival, the University of Plymouth has achieved TEF 2023 Gold in both student experience and outcomes.
Laurence Frewin, Principal & CEO , South Devon College
Laurence joined South Devon College as Vice Principal Corporate Services in February 2010, bringing a strong background of strategic leadership and management in the private sector and education across multiple phases. Beginning his career in Banking & Finance, he gained significant experience during 17 years in that sector, including as an underwriter of lending to a range of large SMEs and mid-corporates. As an Area Retail Manager, he left the world of banking in 2002 to begin his new career in education.
He successfully led professional services at South Devon College at executive level, including Business Development, Employer Engagement, Estates & Facilities, Sustainability & Carbon Management, Finance, Human Resources, IT, Data & Systems, Commercial Services and Catering & Retail.
Laurence was appointed Principal & CEO at South Devon College in September 2019 and also holds positions as a Governor, Director or Member of other Boards including, South West Business Council, Torbay Place Leadership Board, Riviera Education Trust, together with a number of national Association of Colleges Policy Groups
Pete Lawrence – The Crown Estate
Pete is Director of Coastal, Infrastructure and Minerals at the Crown Estate where he is responsible for over half of the coastal and estuary foreshore of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the infrastructure that sits on and crosses it and activities that take place on, in and around it, including but not limited to: regenerative marine aquaculture, ports and harbours, cables and pipelines and minerals both seabed and sub surface.
Tasked with unlocking the potential of our seabed and coastline to support the nation’s transition to a resilient, sustainable and decarbonised future whilst driving thriving communities and nature positive outcomes. The collective ambition is to become the most attractive and sustainable marine economy in the world, while maintaining the rich biodiversity of our seas. As a qualified surf lifeguard, inshore rescue boat coxswain and having Chaired Surf life Saving GB for over 10 years, Pete is active in building resilient communities of lifesavers who save lives, prevent drowning and carry out search and rescue on UK beaches and inland waters.
Richard Church, Chief Operating Officer, Exeter College
Since August 2024, Richard has been part of the Senior Leadership Team at Exeter College as Chief Operating Officer, where he is SLT lead for Finance, Estates & Sustainability, College Information Systems, Partnerships & Apprenticeships, and Advice, Admissions & Learning Centres.
Richard is a Chartered Accountant having qualified with Ernst & Young, where he spent almost 10 years across offices in the UK, undertaking a variety of roles in Audit, Corporate Finance and Restructuring. In addition, Richard has over 18 years of experience in senior finance and operational roles across a variety of sectors, including retail, manufacturing, construction, professional sport and property.
Kevin Forshaw, Director of Industrial Strategic Partnerships, University of Plymouth
Kevin Forshaw is Director of Industrial and Strategic Partnerships at the University of Plymouth and has been working with shipping operators, ship builders and equipment manufacturers to build reliance against maritime cyber-attacks using world-leading thinking from the University. Being at the interface between Industry and Academia, Kevin has secured millions of pounds of UK and European R&D funding for collaborative research for the Maritime Sector in areas including maritime cyber, green shipping and marine autonomous systems.
Rich Adams, Head of Enterprise & Commercialisation, University of Plymouth
Rich has a background in industry, running his own company and now over a decade in research and development within higher education. As Head of Enterprise & Commercialisation at the University of Plymouth, Rich supports the development of new industry collaborations to enable businesses to access state-of-the-art facilities and forge research partnerships with academics. Rich also heads up the Intellectual Property team and The Cube, a university service that supports over 150 student start-up companies.
Emily Taylor, Electricity Distribution’s Strategic Engagement Office, National Grid
Emily Taylor is National Grid Electricity Distribution’s Strategic Engagement Officer for the South West licence area. As part of her role, she provides bespoke support and guidance to local and regional stakeholders in the development of Local Area Energy Plans (LAEPs) and other decarbonisation planning. By doing so, stakeholders will better understand the electricity network, and National Grid Electricity Distribution can invest proactively in the distribution network to support Net Zero ambitions on a local level and meet future needs.
Cat Mills, Construction Capability & Skills, EDF Energy
Cat Mills leads on construction capability and skills at EDF Energy, supporting delivery of the the UKs first nuclear new build projects in a generation, and looking across industry to plan skills needed to deliver UK wide clean energy solutions. With over 20 years of experience in business strategy and transformation, Cat enjoys working with high performing teams to tackle the biggest challenges facing industry.
Paul Barker, Project Director, 1Energy
Paul is leading the development of the Exeter Network. He has over 20 years’ experience in renewable energy projects, the last 10 of which have been dedicated to heat networks. Paul headed the team that developed, delivered and operated Bristol City Council’s Heat Network, which is recognised as a leading example of a local authority delivered heat network.
Jeremy Bungey, Co-Founder & Executive Director, 1Energy
Jeremy has been leading district heating companies for over 17 years both in the private and public sector. A chartered accountant by background, Jeremy has been instrumental in driving the UK district heating market forward, from developing the new build ESCO model to being a founding director of Heat Trust – a body set up to improve the service standards and protections for heat customers.
Jane Cooper, Executive Director, RenewableUK
Jane started with RenewableUK as Executive Director of Offshore Wind in September 2022. In this role, Jane leads the team delivering the Offshore Wind Sector Deal, and providing strategic oversight and advice to the Offshore Wind Industry Council Board (OWIC). Having worked at Orsted for ten years, Jane has a proven track record in the industry with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the sector to meet its targets for 2030 and beyond. Jane is Chair of Aura CDT Strategic Advisory Board, co-Chair of Tackling Inclusivity and Diversity in Energy (TIDE) and holds an MSc from City University. She is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer.
Prof. Ian Bailey, Professor of Environmental Politics, University of Plymouth
Ian Bailey is Professor of Environmental Politics within the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Plymouth. He is a member of the University’s Sustainable Earth Institute Executive Steering Group and the Devon Climate Task Force, and has advised the World Bank and the UK, Australian and New Zealand governments on aspects of climate and energy policy.
His current research centres on the role of climate change acts as drivers of national net-zero transitions, the governance of compliance carbon markets, price-based and voluntary approaches to environmental governance, and interactions between state and federal governments on climate policy. He has been involved in research on community engagement with onshore and offshore renewable energy initiatives since 2006 as part of various UK and EU-funded projects.
Matthew Hindle, Head of Net Zero and Sustainability, Wales and West Utilities
As Head of Net Zero & Sustainability, Matt leads on the future of energy work, which explores the potential role for hydrogen and biomethane. Before this, Matt worked with members of the Energy Network Association (ENA) on issues affecting the gas transmission and distribution networks, including the future role for gas in heat and transport and energy policy more widely. He spent six years working on green gas, energy policy and recycling issues for the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association
