Showcasing our regional innovation and demonstration capabilities
2022 has been a busy year for the region’s energy sector, with new investments, major events, and progress towards achieving the North East’s net zero goals. David Lynch, Energy Innovation Partnership Manager at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, takes a look back.
The energy sector in North East England is one of the region’s biggest growth industries and has a pivotal role to play in delivering the government’s Green Industrial Revolution, which aims to create and support up to 250,000 highly skilled green jobs in the UK, many of which will be here in the North East.
Against this backdrop, during 2022 the North East Energy Catalyst has continued to move forward at pace and at scale, with two new partners, University of Sunderland and the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), offering technical expertise and materials analysis capabilities to the Energy Catalyst partnership. With these additions, we continued to showcase the region as the go-to place to develop and showcase new energy solutions that are changing the world.
Energy Catalyst Summit
In March 2022, we hosted a North East Energy Catalyst Summit. The event provided a platform for some of our regional SMEs assisted via the North East Energy Innovation Challenge Programme. Power Roll Solar Ltd showcased their lightweight solar film with patented ‘microgroove technology’ first developed on our patch. With its low-cost, efficiency, lightweight and application credentials, I genuinely believe this technology could be a gamechanger to decarbonise urban and rural communities. Look out for Power Roll appearing on rooftops or building facias soon! CrowdHouse Energy (a new entrant to the region), also showcased their solar canopy and car charging solution designed for business parks, transport hubs, public and/or private carparks. What emerged from the Energy Summit was the pull both companies experienced in coming to the North East and a sense of drive-to-thrive here!
In support of the Energy Catalyst Summit, board partners also opened their doors showcasing world leading research laboratories and test facilities – a welcome opportunity post COVID-19 for partners to get out and learn more about our assets. Our summit was supported by a communications campaign enhancing exposure and reach of our capabilities.
Clean Maritime Success
In April, the North East Energy Catalyst was part of a consortium showcasing the outcomes from a successful UKRI bid into the UKRI Clean Maritime Demonstrator competition alongside Port of Tyne, Siemens, Newcastle University, and the Connected Places Catapult. The North East Energy Catalyst played an important role bringing partners together at the Port of Tyne’s 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub to share outcomes and lessons learnt from the project. Our core message was that The Clean Tyne project is a great example of what can be achieved when multi-disciplinary partners unite towards a common goal. The project installed a smart digital infrastructure to inform the future direction of decarbonisation at the Port of Tyne. The success of this project has seen the consortium widen with another programme due to commence on a second UKRI funded programme of activity in 2023. More to follow on that soon!
Strategic investment at core sites
We have seen some great regional announcements recently, setting a tone of optimism as we look forward to 2023 and beyond. Strategic investment in employment sites and port infrastructure are yielding returns. In October, I was able to see this for myself, attending the launch of the Bates Clean Energy Terminal at Port of Blyth. The terminal offers enhanced facilities for companies in the renewables and offshore energy sector, a regional asset which will undoubtedly attract further investment from those involved in low carbon and innovation. Very recently we heard Rolls-Royce has shortlisted the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) spanning Sunderland and South Tyneside as a potential site for its new factory building Small Modular Reactors. Huge credit to our colleagues and friends at Invest North East England for these positive developments.
An Energy Catalyst warm welcome
2022 has also seen some new entrants investing into the region. French company Lhyfe, a Green Hydrogen project development company set up its UK Headquarters in Newcastle upon Tyne. The North East Energy Catalyst is supporting Lhyfe to make connections to our regional energy ecosystem and supporting plans for regional green hydrogen production facilities. In January 2023 the Catalyst will be co-hosting a regional spotlight event on green hydrogen with support from Newcastle University and Sunderland City Council. Register for that here.
Accelerating our offshore offer
Our offshore capabilities continue to grow, bolstered by supply chain support programmes like the Technology, Innovation and Green Growth for Offshore Renewables (TIGGOR) Programme, now in its second phase. This is a regional North of Tyne programme to accelerate technology and service development and new product entry into the offshore wind supply chain. I believe it offers an excellent entry point for those to seeking to pivot into the offshore renewables sector in areas of novel robotics for subsea inspection, AI, digital twins, machine learning techniques, sub-components or materials for offshore application.
New regional test and demonstration facilities opening 2023
Our innovation and demonstration facilities continue to grow. Nationally important renewable energy technology and testing facilities are planned to open in 2023 at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult in Blyth and at Northern Gas Networks, Transport Gas and Electricity Research Laboratory (InTEGReL), which will see development of a Customer Energy Village in Gateshead, building a series of dwellings from different generations to replicate the UK housing stock. The energy village will be highly digitalised, providing world class research capacity to support the testing and commercialisation of new and renewable domestic energy technologies. 2022 has been a difficult and turbulent year for domestic energy consumers, plunging many households into fuel poverty this winter, and the role of this energy village will be of the utmost importance to help achieve equity for all in low carbon transition.
North East Energy Catalyst within Net Zero North East England
On this note, the North East LEP, along with many other bodies, is supporting Net Zero North East England. The partnership unites leaders from across the public sector, business and VCSE sector and education organisations to work together to support the net zero transition. In 2023, the partnership will explore common opportunities and challenges and identify areas to accelerate the region’s net zero transition. The North East Energy Catalyst will play an important role within this partnership to ensure investment continues in our regional energy assets and capabilities.
New pastures for me in 2023…
At the end of January 2023, I will be leaving the North East LEP to join Northern Gas Networks (NGN) as their Strategy Manager – Energy Systems Transition. I have enjoyed my time with North East LEP immensely but am excited by the challenge of a new role and future with NGN. Having led the North East Energy Catalyst for just over three years, I am proud of the level of investment made to bolster our regional energy assets and capabilities. I have particularly enjoyed working with regional SMEs across the energy sector to help drive growth and development via the North East Energy Innovation Challenge Programme, delivering grants to the value of £200,000 with support from our partners, Innovation SuperNetwork. I also enjoyed working with our skills team and external contractors to strengthen the evidence base around the skills required to achieve net zero in our domestic sector. Net Zero targets are irrelevant without the skills required to deliver them! I’m proud of the evidence base our team and partners have collated on this important issue.
It has been a privilege to take a front seat alongside great people doing great things; the level of innovation within the region is simply incredible. Across heat, power and transport, there are game-changing energy materials, digital technology, and products in development with some launching in 2023. The North East Energy Catalyst has made real difference to our regional energy landscape, catalysing strategic partnerships via working groups and government-funded projects.
I’d like to personally thank all those who have engaged with the North East Energy Catalyst over the last three years or so, it has been an incredible journey.
Find out more about the North East Energy Catalyst here.
The North East Energy Catalyst is supported by ERDF.