West Country and South Wales leaders come together for historic development conference
The Western Gateway partnership aims to help the entire region reach net zero, while continuing to expand the economy
Council and business leaders from across the West Country and South Wales have come together for the first time, as part of a major scheme to help develop the entire region.
A conference was held today (March 8) at the International Conference Centre in Newport, organised by the Western Gateway (WG).
The WG describes itself as the UK's first "pan regional powerhouse" spanning two countries, stretching from Swansea in the west to Swindon in the east, also including Cardiff, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath as well as parts of wider Somerset and Wiltshire.
Opening the conference Michael Gove MP, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, said the government would be "right behind" the region in helping it achieve its aims, which include bringing the UK's first nuclear fusion power plant to South Gloucestershire and harnessing the tidal power of the Severn Estuary to create hydroelectric power.
Katherine Bennett is the Western Gateway's chair.
"It's all about working together to get more investment into this really important area," she told us.
"The title of the conference is all about green growth, which is something the whole nation needs to do something about.
"We've realised we've got amazing opportunities here, both sides of the River Severn."
As part of the conference it was announced a new commission is being set up, to look once again at how the tidal power of the river could be used to create green energy.
The idea was first discussed 12 years ago back in 2010 but no project ever got off the ground, partly because of concerns any work could damage the ecology of the river bank.
"We've got something here on our own doorstep," she said.
"The only way we can move this forward is to look at the ideas, work on the technology and work together to get results."
One of many local authority leaders at the event was councillor Huw Thomas, the leader of Cardiff Council.
He is one of the driving forces behind the decision to revisit the hydroelectric opportunity of the river.
"You may recall going back to 2010, there was this idea of a tidal barrage," he said.
"Since then we've also had talk of tidal lagoon projects, but nothing yet coming to fruition.
"It seemed to us that the Western Gateway, particularly because of its geography, having the Severn right at the middle of it, is probably the right body to restart that conversation, recognising that technology has moved on significantly in the last 12 years, recognising that there is greater recognition of the climate emergency now and the need for clean energy and frankly the need for cheaper energy and more secure energy as well.
"So we think now is the time to revisit the conversation."
As things stand, we are told there is no preference for what form a hydroelectric scheme could take.
It could be that a barrage is the most viable option, as first discussed in 2010, or that a tidal lagoon is more likely, or something else entirely.
Another of the major projects on the agenda was a desire to bring the UK's first nuclear fusion power plant to the West Country.
A major breakthrough on the necessary technology was only made as recently as February, when a UK based group of scientists managed to create 59 megajoules of energy by squeezing together two forms of hydrogen.
While scientifically significant, that is only enough energy to boil around 60 kettles worth of water and a nuclear fusion plant, where ever it is built, is not expected to be operational before 2040.
Councillor Toby Savage leads South Gloucestershire Council in who's area the Western Gateway wants such a plant built.
He told us the idea offers "an amazing opportunity" for the Western Gateway area.
"We've already got a really impressive track record as a region around nuclear," he said.
"That's why our sites at Oldbury and Berkeley are really well suited to host fusion.
"We've got a policy compliant base for the actual plant, at Oldbury and then at Berkeley we've got the existing University Technical College to ensure we're able to really build upon the skills, strengths of the region.
"And I think our huge USP (unique selling point) for the Western Gateway is how that project and the significant investment that brings, can help to strengthen the union (between England and Wales)."
Councillor Savage suggested that such a large project would provide huge economic benefits for the supply chain across the wider region.
Discussions over this, we are told, have been ongoing for several months already, with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) paying a visit recently.
It will be the AEA that recommends to the government where such a plant should be built, with other options including West Burton, Goole, Moorside and Ardeer.
You can find out much more about the Western Gateway and its ambitions here.