A Chinese trade delegation led by Vice Premier Li Keqiang visited Pelamis Wave Power today for a first-hand experience of our world leading wave energy technology.
Also present were:
You Quan, Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council
Yi Gang, Vice Governor of the People’s Bank of China
Fu Ying, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Liu Zhijun, Minister of Railways
Gao Hucheng, Vice Minister of Commerce and China International Trade Representative
Ning Jizhe, Deputy Head of the State Council Research Office
Xu Xianping, Vice Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission
Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Ambassador to the United KingdomTan Xiutian, Chinese Consul General in Scotland
And from Scotland:
Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, Jim Mather MSP
Minister for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop MSP
Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Roseanne Cunningham MSP
Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt Hon. Michael Moore MP
The delegation was given a tour of our manufacturing facility including the factory testing and assembly areas where the power modules of a new P2 Pelamis are under construction. In the main fabrication hall our visitors saw the main tube structures being completed for ScottishPower Renewables’ machine, scheduled for deployment this summer.
Vice Premier Li met with Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond before the visit and described the importance of maintaining a strong relationship: “Sino-British relations have seen smooth development for a long time, and friendly cooperation between China and Scotland has also been in constant development”. Scotland and China share strong ties with around 5000 Chinese students attending Scottish Universities and colleges each year.
Mr Salmond highlighted the potential synergy between the Chinese and Scottish focus on renewables. “China already has the largest deployment of on-shore renewable technology, and Scotland is a world-leader in pioneering the technology and application of clean, green off-shore energy. Therefore, the economic opportunities for Scotland are enormous in terms of wind and marine energy technology developers and manufacturers and for potential investors across the world.”
Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore MP, accompanied Vice Premier Li on the tour and said: “There are a huge number of opportunities which exist between China and Scotland, and I am keen to see us take advantage of our excellent trading links.”