Energy boost

After decades of low investment, the UK energy business is suddenly at the forefront of activlty. Growth in Britain's demand for energy means that by around 2015, another 30GW-35GW of power must be found each year to meet it.

Investment in schemes such as nuclear new-build, particularly as existing power stations reach the end of their life, and modern gas- and coal-fired plants by private companies, has meant hundreds of jobs are being created for engineers across the board.

Meanwhile, renewable energy provision is growing fast. According to wind power specialist

, more than £1bn is being spent on renewable generation alone in the UK each year.

As more than a third of the UK's power stations are going out of service in the next 15 years,

is investing billions of pounds to build the next generation of cleaner power stations. Examples of this include gas-fired power stations at the Isle of Grain in Kent, and the company has received approval to build a gas-fired power station at Drakelow in Derbyshire. It is also investing in new renewable technologies, including onshore and offshore wind power, wave and tidal power, and biomass.