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NORTH East England is to consolidate its role as a leader in the development of low carbon energy and fuel cell technology.
Regional development agency One NorthEast have funded CPI to lead North East Energy 2015 (NEE 2015) a new project aimed at generating over £80m of investment over the next seven years.
Launched with £432,000 of Single Programme funding from One NorthEast, NEE 2015 will work with private companies and public bodies to create large scale demonstration activities focused on low carbon energy systems based on chemical and process industry approaches. This will include fuel cells, fuelling waste utilisation and innovative combinations of existing technologies. CPI provides the ideal test bed for this technology optimising the region’s unique combination of research and process skills, assets, logistics and business infrastructure - all established to support the development of sustainable technologies in the chemical industry.
The project is targeted at attracting major investment by private sector investors, both nationally and internationally with a number of large projects expected to be worth in excess of £10m each.
Joanne Glendinning, Process Senior Specialist Advisor at One NorthEast, said: “This approval of funding for the North East Energy 2015 project provides a massive boost for an industry which is very much establishing itself here in North East England.
“With this launch we are confirming our commitment to low carbon energy technologies and including fuel cells and ensuring this region is at the cutting-edge of its development. This will in turn raise our profile nationally and internationally, ensuring continued investment and job creation.”
The £432,000 of funding was approved earlier this month by One NorthEast’s Heads of Team panel.
Dr Graham Hillier, director of Low Carbon Energy at CPI explains, “In the last 5 years technological developments in low carbon energy have developed significantly, and together with the impacts of climate change legislation and worries over future energy security, the deployment of all low carbon technologies has become much more pressing.
CPI and ONE NorthEast believe that this region has all the skills, characteristics and sites to act as a major location for the demonstration and deployment of low carbon technologies.
CPI is becoming a national centre for innovation in the processing sector, and low carbon energy is central to this vision to help stimulate positive change for the future of the sector.”
Energy and the Environment is one of the ‘Three Pillar’ sectors identified as having the most potential to generate economy growth and maximum return on investment – the others being Healthcare and Health Sciences and Process Innovation. All have helped shape the development of the Regional Economic Strategy (RES), a document development by the private, third and public sectors to map out how the region can achieve economic prosperity.
Ms Glendinning added: “Developing the Low Carbon Energy sector will help create the economic conditions for the region to successfully compete in today’s global marketplace, thus ensuring our businesses have the best possible chance of future success.” |
