News Archive

The new advanced facility will provide an independent and confidential environment to accelerate the development of new blade designs before they are taken offshore. It will be the largest of its type in the world and expands on Narec’s existing blade testing capability developed over the last five years, serving the global supply chain and industrial research community.The new world class facility is jointly funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Department for Energy and Climate Change (£11.5m) and Regional Development Agency One North East (£3.5m).

A Downing Street reception for 100 business leaders whose organisations have embraced the low carbon economy.

Additional investment to create and attract new businesses into the region, providing 40 jobs and assisting over 100 companies with innovation. This incubation facility will offer 150m2 of R&D premises and incubation space for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to test ideas and accelerate product development.

Regional Development Agency One North East has organised the event for companies who can supply the company when it begins to manufacture its new 10MW Turbine, which will be the largest offshore wind turbine in the world.

Experts from MAS North East’s Energy team saved aluminium die casting specialists Norfran Ltd 35% on its annual energy bills by renegotiating utility contracts, which has helped safeguard around 20 jobs at the plant.

The company is carrying out a multi million pound research project into pioneering low-energy detergent technology with the support of a Large Company Research and Development Grant of £1.25m from One North East.

One North East has invested £314,000 to sponsor the ECO2Trans project, which is converting two electric Gulliver U500EUK buses into hydrogen vehicles using a fuel cell, battery and capacitor combination.

The cars have been delivered to the region by Cenex, the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies, and will form a six-month trial that will give more than 500 drivers the chance to drive an electric vehicle for the first time.

The £3.5m feasibility study, which includes detailed engineering design work for a plant at the company’s Seal Sands site in the Tees Valley, is being supported by a £2.2m grant from the Regional Development Agency One North East and the Department for Energy and Climate Change. When completed, the feasibility study will inform an investment decision in 2010 for a commercial INEOS Bio bio-ethanol and bio-energy plant.

The Transport Secretary is visiting Newcastle Civic Centre to inspect the first of 40 charging points for electric vehicles that will be installed on Tyneside in the coming weeks and months in a range of locations, such as public buildings, retail centres and on the roadside.

CABE is the government’s advisor on architecture, urban design and public space, and has joined forces with Design Review to decide whether schemes will be seen by CABE nationally or by the regional service in the first instance, saving valuable time.

The Renewable Energy Manufacturing Technology (REMTEC) initiative has received a further £1.67m of funding from One North East to improving the technical capabilities and business competitiveness of North East engineering and manufacturing companies.

Newcastle University is to establish a dedicated, state of the art facility integrating a range of technologies in Combined Heat and Power (CHP), Trigeneration (CHP plus refrigeration/cooling) and Energy Storage to support innovation and business development in the region.

Experienced candidates are required to support the business in the delivery of proposals for the expansion of testing and technology development infrastructure, designed to increase our service offerings and meet the growing needs of the offshore wind and marine renewable sectors.

The 15-strong board of business people, local authority leaders and academics has given its backing to the development of new internationally-significant facilities that represent a £42.5m investment in the region.

Since its establishment a year ago by Government and One North East, the new MAS NE service - which is a combination of the Manufacturing Advisory Service and One North East’s pioneering North East Productivity Alliance - has registered impressive results, working with firms across the region providing practical advice and guidance to boost productivity and generate efficiency savings.

The minister, who has responsibility for the automotive sector, will meet three forward-thinking companies from the region who are the first to express a commitment to the UK’s new Low Carbon Future Leaders scheme.

The pilot-scale fleet trial was announced today by Cenex and Regional Development Agency One North East at the National Low Carbon Vehicle Event. It will see four electric Smart cars deployed in the region for six months from October 2009 which more than 500 people will use over the duration of the trial.

Chelsea Sexton was in North East England to see how the region is at the forefront of electric vehicle development and aiming to create a new generation of ‘green-collar’ jobs.

Located within the UK’s first Low Carbon Economic Area for Ultra-Low-Carbon Vehicles, which is being delivered by regional development agency One North East, the scheme is set to deliver 4,000 jobs to Sunderland.

MAS North East (MAS NE) is to launch a new service focused on resource efficiency, waste water and green energy, helping regional manufacturers make considerable savings by becoming more environmentally aware.

Agency experts will be joined by key regional and international partners in the development of low-carbon vehicles and charging infrastructure at the second Cenex National Low Carbon Vehicle Event.

MGT Power has announced plans for a second biomass facility, the 295MW Tyne Renewable Energy Plant (Tyne REP), to be built on industrial land owned by the Port of Tyne in North Shields. Tyne REP represents an investment of over £400m, the creation of 600 construction jobs, 150 on-site jobs, 300 - 400 indirect jobs and an annual spend of £30m in the local economy.

The ID Partnership Group’s Newcastle office has been carrying out pan-European research for the last two and a half years to gather together information on the best available pre-engineered building types, so that a new sustainable housing design solution could be developed which doesn’t compromise on the properties’ individuality.

The Quality Protocol safeguards the quality of outputs from compliant producers, making it easier for industry to divert waste from lower value uses or disposal and into the production of quality biodiesel.

Four major US corporations and two utility companies took delivery of the Smith Newton, the largest road-going electric truck in North America. Coca-Cola, Staples, Frito-Lay, AT&T, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) are the first Newton customers in the USA.

As part of NESTA’s (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) Big Green Challenge, CoRE will receive £20,000 plus a tailored package of support.

The announcement was made at the company’s car factory in Washington this morning, where Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, named the North East the country’s first Low Carbon Economic Area for low carbon vehicles.

The Industrial Biotechnology facility will build on the capabilities at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), including the National Industrial Biotechnology Facility (NIBF) and cement the Tees Valley’s leading position in this sector.

Consent was granted for a new biomass power station in Tees Port near Middlesbrough. The new station, owned by MGT Power Limited, will be fuelled by some 2.4 million tonnes of clean wood chip fuel per year and provide up to 295MW of clean energy.

One NorthEast’s Energy Resource Efficiency (ERE) programme is helping deliver a host of electricity savings at a Tees Valley speciality chemicals company.

The North East’s growing biomass sector has the potential to be contributing more than £75m a year to the regional economy by 2015, according to a new report

The UK’s first dedicated wood fuel expo, Ignition 09, is to be held at The Sage Gateshead, Tyneside, on the 11th and 12th March 2009 – an event backed by One NorthEast and Rural Development Initiatives to provide networking opportunities for organisations involved in the supply chain and those interested in finding out more about how wood fuel can benefit their business.

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and the Centre of Excellence for Nano, Micro and Photonic Systems (Cenamps), have today announced that they will merge with immediate effect in a move that reinforces the region’s position as the lead driver for innovation in the UK’s processing sector.

The European Regions and Municipalities gathered together on April 14, 2008 in Brussels to join their efforts in fostering the deployment and uptake of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in Europe.

A new, award winning wind turbine has won funding from NStar’s Three Pillars Fund and a research grant from One NorthEast to secure the next stage of its development.

Fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) is deeply concerned about the impact of npower’s double digit price rises on poor and vulnerable households, after the announcement from the fourth biggest energy provider today.

The North East’s pioneering energy sector will benefit from a £2.4m funding boost from One NorthEast.

CALIFORNIAN energy giant Clipper Windpower is to develop a new generation of offshore wind turbines in North East England.

The North East bid for the Energy Technology Institute sucessfully moves to the next stage

North East England unveiled its plans to host the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) ....

Residential energy efficiency provider eaga plc has formed a partnership with regional development agency One North East, renewable energy centre of excellence NaREC, and the Centre for Design Research at Northumbria University to bring solar power to schools.

A NATIONAL facility set to help the Tees Valley regain its status as one of the most important chemical industry hubs in the world has been officially opened

The annual North Easts Solar Car schools challenge

A toolkit that will enable planners, developers and home builders to use renewable energy in new buildings has been launched by the region’s planning body.

The publication of the North East Housing Strategy 2007

A high-powered delegation visits the North East today (Wednesday, June 13) to assess the region's bid to lead the UK's billion pound clean energy development programme.

The results of an independent study into wind farm development in the south and west of Berwick-upon-Tweed area of Northumberland have been published.

NaREC, the North East's Centre of Excellence for new and renewable energy, officially launched a new state-of-the-art marine test facility at the Tees Barrage, Stockton-on Tees on 8th June 2007.

Eastgate development receives backing with plans for new residential centre

This is the next step forward in the preparation of this important planning framework for the region.

The New and Renewable Energy Centre, the North East’s Centre for Excellence in new and renewable energy, is this week switching on the largest industrial demonstrator project for Biomass in the region.

NaREC is this month to become the leading high voltage measurement laboratory in the UK, as it unveils its brand new calibration laboratory and becomes the custodian of the UK’s High Voltage Reference Measurement Standards.

MP praises ‘safe art’ winners of a specially-commissioned art competition.

The revisions relate principally to paragraph 4.3 (pages 6 & 7) and the compliance checklists at Appendix D (pages 49 - 58) which have been amended to make it clear that, in Defra's informal opinion, the ecolabel flower must not be displayed on energy labels relating to tumble dryers, combined washer-dryers, electric ovens or air conditioners, on the grounds that these 4 product types are not licensed under the EU ecolabelling scheme.

A new era of enhanced energy security for the UK was ushered in on 16 October

Friends of the Earth - Tyndall Centre Report

New investment in energy initiative launched

A North East partnership is gearing up to bridge the vocational skills gap to service the rapidly expanding wind industry.

Quotes should include the proposed methodology, a breakdown of costs, proposed timetable and a brief resume of experience in this area. It is anticipated that the value of the contract will be a maximum of £10,000

major British electrical retailer is selling solar panels in high street shops for the first time.

A range of publications are produced by DTI about the status of energy in the UK. These are regularly updated and are available from DTI publications office

DTI and WWT publish in-depth study of seabirds in designated offshore wind farm areas

National Energy Action (NEA) is celebrating 25 years of campaigning for warm homes and as part of the Charity’s jubilee celebrations is setting up a Silver Jubilee Fund in partnership with the Community Foundation to provide bursaries totalling £20,000

Nine climate change champions from across England, including our North East champion, will depart next week by train to Switzerland to see how global warming is affecting Swiss glaciers.

UPM Tilhill has been appointed as sole supplier of roundwood for Sembcorp's new 30 MW wood-burning power station at Wilton 10 in Teesside.

The Third Annual Report on the implementation of the 2003 Energy White Paper was published today.

David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, yesterday backed the idea of carbon rationing for all, based on smart credit cards that record an individual's energy use

Environment Secretary David Miliband this evening will signal that the Government will look more radically at the option of tradeable personal carbon allowances in a bid to combat rising emissions from the domestic sector

The Government today concluded its Energy Review with the publication of a far-reaching range of proposals designed to reinforce the UK's long-term energy policy in the face of the mounting global threats posed by climate change and to energy security.

The Carbon Trust today announced its intention to establish a new venture capital fund, to be listed on AIM, investing in small and mid-sized companies in the low carbon and clean energy technology sectors.

A pioneering new study commissioned by the North East Assembly will help planning authorities to make informed decisions about the cumulative impact on the landscape of multiple windfarm developments in Northumberland and provide a method for doing this that can be used across the country.

The UK government has thrown down a challenge to its EU allies by promising to cut, by 2012, carbon emissions from big business by 12.5% on last year's levels.

A new report by the Carbon Trust says that wasted energy will cost UK businesses £570 million this summer, owing to poor energy efficiency. This means that even in the summer months businesses are wasting 15 per cent of total energy spend, which could be cost effectively saved.

The 2006 Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy have been announced following an awards presentation addressed by leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron, and former Chief Scientific Advisor to the government, Lord May. The Awards include Cassops Primary School in Durham and the Northumberland Cavity Wall Project

Envirowise have launched a new free CD-ROM based toolkit which can help businesses in the North East take a big step towards cutting office waste and saving money

Energy company Centrica is to start construction of Britain's first major new power station in almost five years

A Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) survey of local plans published today reveals many local authorities are now adopting new requirements in their plans for on-site renewable energy in new developments. The Government is now urging all local authorities to do the same and will include this request in the new planning policy guidance on climate change due out later this year

The RAF are helping test two new technologies which might solve the problem of wind turbines affecting air radar operation.

Nine new youth climate change champions have been appointed in the English regions to spread the messages about global warming to other young people.

The European Commission proposed: - holding a regular Strategic EU Energy Review with reports to EU leaders and the European Parliament, identifying the advantages and drawbacks of different sources of energy such as coal, nuclear, and renewables.

In response to opinion research that shows European citizens are in favour of a European Energy policy, the EU has launched a Green Paper on Energy

The Environment Institute (EI) have launched a new award aimed at individuals or organisations who have shown the most innovative approach towards the installation of a small scale, embedded renewable system

Renewable Energy: Practicalities and Energy Efficiency: Government Responses

A new industry-Government body has been officially launched to help the UK fight climate change and address the skills gap

Chance to buy shares in the first community owned wind farm in southern England

12 week review of the UK energy system

Publication of December 2005 edition of Energy Trends and Quarterly Energy Prices

Report into Microgeneration launched

The consultation on the Code for Sustainable Buildings - now renamed the Code for Sustainable Homes - was launched yesterday by Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper as part of the response to the Barker Report.

The European Renewable Energy Council have published a report calling for an EU Directive to promote renewable heating and cooling. EU Directives are behind the UK's Renewables Obligation and the coming Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation

On 1st December, the Environment Secretary, Margaret Beckett, and Climate Change Minister, Elliot Morley, launched Defra's three year campaign to raise awareness about the threat of climate change.

Ofgem has written to the EU Competition Director around concerns that some EU countries are limiting gas supplies to drive up prices

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling announced on 10 November new measures to make transport fuels greener by requiring 5% of all UK fuel sold on UK forecourts to come from a renewable source by 2010

A £30m grant support scheme for microgeneration and enhanced energy efficiency technologies announced by Malcolm Wicks

As G8 leaders prepare to discuss climate change, a committee of peers has urged wholesale policy changes on the issue...

Britain is lagging behind the rest of the Western world in funding research into new forms of energy as the International Energy Agency called for more investment to combat climate change...