A Cornish energy partnership is sharing its success in sustainable energy practices with 12 Government officials from Bulgaria on their fact finding mission.

Based in Camborne, the Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership (CSEP) is made up of 72 organisations from the private and public sector including all the councils of Cornwall, the Cornwall NHS Trusts, renewable energy companies and voluntary organisations. The common aim is to create a sustainable energy low carbon economy for Cornwall.

Tim German, Director of CSEP said: "We are delighted to share our knowledge of the partnership approach to tackle sustainable energy issues and developing a joined-up approach to integrating sustainability into all facets of community regeneration. Our partnership working does not just stay within Cornwall, we work with other energy agencies across Europe to work on projects and develop programmes; it's a two way street of disseminating knowledge and information.

"I hope that the officials from Bulgaria will be able to take back the information they have learned here and create a sustainable energy future for their country, whilst contributing to the global problem of tackling climate change. However, this is a collaboration for learning and we will be finding out more about the progress in Bulgaria."

The delegates will learn about various projects, including the large scale integration of ground source heat pumps into social housing, the Wave Hub and the integration of sustainable energy into the regeneration of Camborne, Pool and Redruth.

Mr. Valery Naidenov, Director for the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works said: "We are very pleased to be here in Cornwall which is a uniquely beautiful place to live and work in. We've met professionals who are dedicated to their work and dedicated to the idea to further develop Cornwall in a more sustainable way. We are here to learn from successful partnerships and we have learned a lot during our visit. We have peripheral areas in Bulgaria which face similar issues here in Cornwall. I believe that when we go back to Bulgaria we will be able to put into practice some of the ideas for development that we have learned here, especially related to successful environment friendly economic development, based on effective partnerships."

The partnership approach and ground breaking work of CSEP secured Beacon Council Status for all the Councils in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for best practice in Sustainable Energy in 2005.