A PRIVATE-public sector partnership has launched a new drive to promote East Anglia as a location for investment in the energy industry.

Members of the Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance (NSEA) met in Ipswich to launch a new brand - called the The East of England Energy Zone - promoting the region as “the place” for organisations involved in the energy sector to do business.

East Anglia can claim one of the world’s largest and most diverse clusters of energy businesses, ranging from a long-established role in the nuclear and North Sea oil and gas sectors to the new offshore wind power industry.

An estimated �50billion-worth worth of private sector investment is planned in the region for the next 20 years but the new campaign aims to ensure that it punches its weight in the face of competition from elsewhere.

The launch of the new brand was supported by organisations including the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR), New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), county and district councils and the chambers of commerce for Suffolk and Norfolk.

John Dugmore, chief executive at Suffolk Chamber, said: “As the voice of business in the county, the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce is delighted to be taking a lead role in this exciting initiative. It will make a real and lasting difference to inward investment in this important area of our region.

“We need to maximise the opportunities working with our partners from different sectors to ensure this inward investment means real jobs and real economic development for the Lowestoft and Yarmouth coast.

“We’ll be working hard with one unified voice to make sure business invests in our region and sees the real opportunites we have to offer,” he added. “This is an exciting time.”