By K.Steiner-Dicks on May 21, 2014

The site was historically the location of a coal fired power station, symbolising the next generation in energy production. Corwall's coast and its Isles of Scilly contain wide expanses of shallow sub-tidal and intertidal environments flooded by rising relative sea levels during the late Holocene. While wave energy testing dominates the Hayle site, news of the financial support are a positiove sign for both wave nd tidal energy in the UK.

This additional funding for Hayle follows the development of North Quay and represents a total package of investment of £24m from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Cornwall Council, Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS) and Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) in the area.

Hayle is already the home of Wave Hub, the world’s largest marine renewables test site connected to the grid, and the addition of the marine renewables park will further strengthen Cornwall’s capability to support this growing sector.

The source and distribution of funds allocated to the marine business park were as followsERDF (£11,637,072); Cornwall Council (£ 8,000,000) and BIS/DECC (£4,250,000).

Chris Pomfret, Chair of the LEP and Deputy Chair of the Convergence Local Management Committee, which steers the ERDF Convergence programme, commented: “It is a real achievement to have secured this significant investment to make the Hayle Marine Renewable Business Park become a reality. Working with the supply chain to identify the requirements of the industry has ensured we are creating something that is needed and going to help develop the industry.”

The new facility is designed to accommodate companies at the vanguard of future marine renewables energy production and will be a collaborative partnership between local and national government, the Local Enterprise Partnership, technology developers and industry.

Cornwall Development Company will manage more than 2,500 square metres of managed workspace including flexible workshops and modern office accommodation. It will also be fibre enabled, ensuring superfast broadband capability for the businesses on site.

The business park will provide the gateway to the Wave Hub site, which is situated just 10 miles off the coast of Hayle. It will be suitable for all companies involved in the development, deployment, servicing and maintenance of wave and floating wind power devices as well as new and existing supply chain businesses supporting this sector.

The HayleMRBP and Wave Hub are vital elements of the Offshore Renewables Development Programme, a wider programme of work that aims to enable and accelerate the commercial realisation of offshore renewable energy within Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and Plymouth from initial concept, through development and testing to launching the product in the marketplace.