Renewable Energy
This is a future high growth industry for the region. It has already begun expanding rapidly with the rising demand for renewable energy from sources such as wind turbines and photovoltaic (solar) cells.
One of the major investments is a £60m biomass power plant being built by SembCorp in Tees Valley. Another facility is the biggest biofuels complex in Europe, operated by Biofuels Corporation.
The New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) is leading the regional drive to develop and commercialise emerging technologies. It is home to the national Photovoltaic Centre and one of the largest testing facilities for wind turbine blades in the world. It also has test facilities for high-voltage transmission equipment, and wave and tidal machines.
The UK’s first offshore wind farm was developed by Amec Wind and Shell Renewables at Blyth in Northumberland, where NaREC is based. Another offshore site will be created at Teesmouth, while permission has been granted for Europe’s biggest brownfield urban wind farm in Tees Valley.
Renew Tees Valley is promoting the development of renewable energy and waste management activities among indigenous companies and through inward investment.
This company is part of Singapore-based SembCorp Industries. It supplies steam and electricity to chemical manufacturing businesses in Tees Valley. In addition to its fossil fuel burning facilities, it is to develop a 30MW power generating plant using wood as fuel. This will require around 300,000 tonnes of wood a year sourced from specially grown energy crops such as willow coppice, surplus timber from conventional forestry, sawmill chips and recycled wood. It is working with farmers to encourage them to grow the coppice element on spare land.
Renewable Energy Fact Sheet [pdf]
(255 KB)
