Page 26 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan

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3.1.2 Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon
The Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon is a significant project which has the potential to have both long and shorter term skills implications. The proposed project which is awaiting the final approval from the UK government will see the construction of the world’s first purpose built tidal lagoon for the production of electricity.
The proposal hopes to deliver:
• ‘The world’s first, man-made, energy-generating lagoon, with a 320MW installed capacity and 14 hours of reliable generation every day,
• Clean, renewable and predictable power for over 155,000 homes (equivalent to 90% of Swansea Bay's annual domestic electricity use) for 120 years,
• Large-scale tidal power connected to the National Grid, as other power stations are closed down,
• An important contribution towards national carbon emission reduction targets – over 236,000 tonnes of CO2 saved each year,
• An opportunity to develop a world-leading tidal range industry in the UK,
• Significant employment and value creation in Wales,
• Community and tourism opportunities in sports, recreation, education, arts and culture,
• Conservation, restocking and biodiversity programmes,
• Coastal flood protection.’53
The project will have a high impact on skills particularly within the construction phase which require a high number of skilled engineers and specialist construction staff.
3.1.3 A Regional Collaboration for Health (ARCH)
ARCH provides a strategic link between the regional Health Boards of Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Hywel Dda and higher and further education. A number of activities are being developed within the umbrella of the collaboration including significant potential investment in the development of a wellbeing centre at Delta Lakes, Llanelli.
ARCH will aim to ‘develop and implement new service models based on the principle of care being provided closer to home. Expanding access through the development of new infrastructure and redeveloping and redefining the use of existing infrastructure will radically transform patient pathways across the region.’54
3.1.4 Computational Foundry
The £31m Computational Foundry based at Swansea University’s Bay Campus will transform Swansea, West Wales and the Valleys and the nation as a global destination for computational scientists. The Foundry will establish an internationally renowned, digital ecosystem for world-class computational science research that brings together interdisciplinary research and addresses grand challenges for the economy and society under the three themes of Sustaining Life; Enhancing Life; and Securing Life. It will continue to build capacity in Swansea University’s globally recognised research strengths computational science.55
53 http://www.tidallagoonswanseabay.com/the-project/proposal-overview-and-vision/51/
54 http://www.swansea.ac.uk/medicine/enterpriseandinnovation/aregionalcollaborationforhealtharch/
55 http://www.swansea.ac.uk/campus-development/baycampus/informationonkeybuildings/thecomputationalfoundry
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales Aspirational Economy