The North East of England has set its sights on becoming the leading regional force behind energy and clean growth within the UK.

With the potential to deliver thousands of jobs and act as a catalyst for economic growth the plans are being proposed by some of the regions biggest names – some of whom will be involved in the North East Economic Growth Conference in February. [emaillocker id=”71749″]

The North East LEP has shared intel into the collaborative approach being taken – as Cahir Lucy Winskell said: “The North East energy sector is already working together to deliver on national energy strategy while driving economic growth. North East partners are collaborating both nationally and internationally – investing £200m over the next 10 years to deliver the opportunities within energy.”

A number of sites have already been identified – with Equinor and SSE Renewables selecting a new site at the Port of Tyne which is set to unlock further developable land and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult is based at Blyth in Northumberland. With new emerging technology surrounding Electric Vehicle’s (EV) being developed in the region there is a plethora of exciting projects already showcasing the North East as a leading in clean energy.

James Ritchie, Chair of Energi Coast, the North East’s offshore wind cluster, commented: “We know that there is the potential for the North East to support 9,000 jobs in the offshore wind sector by 2025, and we have the ambition and expertise to further grow our reputation as a world-leading cluster and international centre for innovation in offshore energy.”

Paul Butler, Chief Ececutive of the North East Automotive Alliance, said: “Electrification is a huge opportunity to address decarbonisation and the climate emergency, and no other region in the UK can lay claim to the kind of capabilities we have in the North East when it comes to electric vehicle technologies.”

National research and demonstration of hydrogen as a zero-carbon fuel is taking place in the region, with residents of Winlaton in Gateshead set to become the first users of a public UK gas network to receive blended hydrogen for heating and cooking through the HyDeploy project.

Lucy added: “The announcement of the Green Industrial Revolution plan by the government further solidifies our ambitions and underlines our position as a leader in energy and clean growth, with pioneering work already underway across the plan.

“We’re a region which is working collaboratively, not just within the North East, but with partners nationally and internationally, and we’re ready to use our strengths to help government and industry deliver the new plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.”

Register for the North East Development Conference here: https://www.built-environment-networking.com/event/north-east-development-conference-3/

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