LOWESTOFT-based offshore renewables hub OrbisEnergy has signed a collaboration agreement with a new partner in the United States.

The deal, with the Association of Cleantech Incubators of New England (ACTION) which is based in Massachusetts, was signed during the Clean Energy Ministerial gathering in London.

The meeting involved energy ministers from 23 of the world’s leading economies who discussed strategies for speeding up the transition to clean energy technologies.

It was co-chaired by US Energy Secretary Steven Chu and UK Energy Secretary Edward Davey who signed a number of bilateral agreements with counterparts from other governments to work in collaboration over the coming years.

The Orbis-ACTION agreement was signed in parallel with these, with the aim of stimulating collaboration between the east coasts of the UK and the US in the development of offshore renewable energy innovation and activity to help companies exploit new business opportunities.

Mr Davey said “Britain has more wind turbines installed around its shores than any other country in the world and our market is rated year after year as the most attractive market among investors.

“Offshore wind is critical for the UK’s energy future and there is big interest around the world in what we’re doing.”

Judy Terry, portfolio holder for the economy, skills and Greenest County initiative at Suffolk County Council and chair of OrbisEnergy, said: “Few emerging business sectors offer quite as much opportunity as that of offshore renewables, where East Anglia is at the heart of the UK’s offshore wind potential.

“As a specialist innovation and incubation hub, OrbisEnergy supports businesses across the value chain encouraging start-up and growth among technology and high-growth enterprises looking to commercialise products or services from R&D stage through to market-readiness and beyond.

“Our region’s rich history in offshore operations, innovation and technology, with world class credentials in offshore engineering and fabrication gives East Anglia a unique offering. Building relationships with rapidly growing global markets such as the United States is a major step in supporting and incubating innovative companies to access international business opportunities.”

Michael Ryan, president of the ACTION, added: “Developing the clean energy sector globally presents massive opportunities for business. This agreement enables the sharing of best practice and expertise and gives us a framework to align our resources to maximize the impact for both countries.

“In time it is hoped that this approach will result in a collaborative UK-US relationship where companies can tap into specialized expertise to support both technological and commercial innovation and ultimately access new contracts in the growing offshore renewables sectors.”