Sara Rushworth, marketing manager at GENERATE, explores the opportunities for supply chain businesses in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
The coastal towns of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft have great ambitions to realise a vibrant and inclusive economy, building upon existing successes and strengthening their futures as centres for renewable energy.
As one of the founding partners of GENERATE, Great Yarmouth Borough Council is committed to supporting the local supply chain and working to attract inward investment into the region.
Already one of the most successful Enterprise Zone projects in the UK, with significant inward investment already realised within the Energy Park, the South Quay in Great Yarmouth is abuzz with construction work.
Millions of pounds are being invested in regeneration projects to benefit the area, including the new third river crossing that’s set to open in the new year and the £24 million operations and maintenance campus.
Piling on the campus began earlier this month, with the build expected to complete at the end of 2024. It will see 190m of river quay refurbished and upgraded, along with the creation of new vessel pontoons and delivery of a revised road layout and associated infrastructure to optimise the land available for future development.
The regeneration of South Quay will support the globally competitive renewables supply chain, which has enormous potential for growth, and will be followed by an ambitious project further north. The North Quay is a 10-acre (4 hectare) riverside gateway development opportunity in the heart of Great Yarmouth, allocated for wholesale regeneration for a variety of commercial and residential uses.
These projects will complement the strong maritime sector and infrastructure with a deep-water harbour, river berths and improved connectivity to key growth sites.
East Suffolk Council, another GENERATE partner, is investing in clean energy with regeneration in full swing further down the coast in Lowestoft. The council’s aim is to encourage new and existing businesses to thrive in the town, making the area a go-to location for residents, visitors and investors alike.
One of these initiatives, The Nexus, lies in the heart of Lowestoft’s PowerPark. Work is already in progress with the first stage of this exciting new project taking a vital step forward as site clearance got underway in November.
The Nexus is a new industrial development on Newcombe Road that will provide 16 purpose-built contemporary business units of varying sizes, ranging between 35m2 and 225m2, set within a high quality, landscaped environment. Once complete, it is hoped that The Nexus will become a natural hub for clean energy companies, appealing to both start-ups and more established businesses.
The Nexus will be centrally located within PowerPark, adjacent to Associated British Ports’ Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF), with piling works now underway and next to a number of offshore wind operators, including RWE and SSE’s Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm O&M base, ScottishPower Renewables’ East Anglia ONE O&M base, CTV vessel operators Wind Cat Workboats and Turner Iceni, and Seatrium.
PowerPark is also the home to OrbisEnergy, owned by GENERATE partner Suffolk County Council. OrbisEnergy is a landmark innovation and incubation centre for clean energy businesses in the East of England, offering flexible workspaces, exceptional conference and meeting facilities and virtual office solutions for companies of all sizes.
If you’re looking to join the impressive supply chain already at home in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, visit the GENERATE website.
To find out more about specific projects or to express interest in becoming a tenant, contact info@generate-energy.co.uk
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