NOF Energy – the sole trade association for the offshore wind, oil, gas and nuclear power supply chain industries in north-east England – has forged a new partnership with UK Export Finance to support supply chain companies’ international trade ambitions.
UKEF has already provided significant support for the energy industry, with £586 million worth of support for exports in the energy sector in the year ending March 2016.
The new partnership with NOF Energy is designed to increase awareness among supply chain companies to further develop the UK’s international trade activity.
The support provided by the department has grown in recent years, with 279 companies supported in 2015-16, an increase of 23% on the previous year. More than three quarters of these companies were SMEs.
UK Export Finance is the UK’s export credit agency and a government department, working alongside the Department for International Trade to support British exporters.
UKEF offers specialist export finance and insurance to companies in the energy sector, as well as face-to-face guidance through its network of 24 export finance advisers based across the UK – including the two in Scotland.
Joanne Leng MBE, Deputy Chief Executive, NOF Energy, said: “The innovation and experience of the energy sector supply chain has earned it a strong reputation in global markets, which opens doors for British companies.”
And Richard Simon-Lewis, Head of Civil, Infrastructure and Energy at UK Export Finance, added: “Our mission is to ensure that no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance, and the energy sector is one in which the UK has significant expertise that is in high demand in international markets.”
The economies of scale which NOF Energy can provide across all the key energy segments (renewables, oil and gas) is in marked difference to Scotland where the Balkanised respective industry trade associations do not collaborate with each other or across the Scottish energy spectrum – with the exception being the Scottish Energy Association – whose members include companies in all energy sectors in Scotland.
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