News

Durham University has appointed Professor Richard Davies as Director of the new Durham Energy Institute (DEI). He will be tasked with leading a group of 96 scientists and social scientists in researching practical solutions for the energy challenges of the 21st Century. These include decarbonising energy, improving technologies for renewable energy and finding ways to help reduce energy demand.

Narec has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ashberg Limited to develop an insurance and finance proposition for the global renewable industry.

The North East’s leading role in the renewable energy sector has been boosted by a £4.5m investment in the test facilities for wave and tidal power devices at the National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec).

Narec has today been awarded an Agreement for Lease from The Crown Estate for its proposed offshore demonstration facility, with a capacity to accommodate up to 20 large-scale pre commercial wind turbines in the North Sea off Blyth, Northumberland.

Plans to develop Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in North East England have taken a further step forward with £1.3m of major new development work announced today by Business Secretary Vince Cable as part of the Tees Valley Industrial Programme (TVIP)

North East England is soon to be the home of Europe’s most advanced quick charging network for electric vehicles, and businesses are being asked to help provide the spark.

Air Products (NYSE: APD) today announced plans to build a new 49MW renewable energy plant in the Tees Valley.

As part of the Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme (LCVPP) run by Cenex, the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for low carbon and fuel cell technologies, two cars will become part of the fleet at Gateshead Council, two at Newcastle City Council, one at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and one at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

The 30 million litre commercial-scale bioethanol plant planned for the North East of England aims to convert biodegradable household and commercial waste to carbon-neutral biofuel for use in today’s cars and renewable electricity for homes and industry.

Cenex, the UK's Centre of Excellence for low carbon and fuel cell technologies, in conjunction with Regional Development Agency One North East, deployed four electric two-seater Smart ForTwo cars over six months in the region from September 2009.

One North East has awarded Tyneside alternative energy company Senergy Econnect Ltd a Large Company Grant for Research and Development (R&D) of almost £172,000 for a project to create a state-of-the-art energy demand management system.

Cummins Ltd will develop the new engines to comply with the next round of European emissions legislation (EURO 6), commencing January 2013. To help Cummins create these new engines at its Darlington base, One North East has offered a Large Company Research and Development Grant of over £600,000.

TAG Energy Solutions (TAG) has been offered a grant of £1.5m by One North East as it gears up to bid for over £500m worth of work in the offshore wind sector.

MAS North East’s (MAS NE) Improve Your Resource Efficiency (IYRE) project, which was launched in August 2009, is already helping businesses make crucial savings.

This major industry event is taking place from tomorrow (Wednesday, March 24) at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead and comes just a week after Nissan announced it will manufacture the electric Nissan LEAF at its Sunderland plant.

The Training Tower is the result of a collaborative training partnership, backed by Regional Development Agency, One North East, between Northumberland College, Mainstream Renewable Power and Narec. It is an open access facility, designed to allow education and training providers to deliver academic and industrial training programmes for technicians working in the wind industry and at height, both onshore and offshore.

Almost a year to the day since Nissan and One North East signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the development of zero-emission mobility, Nissan announce that the LEAF will be manufactured at the company’s Sunderland plant

A new centre for the low carbon vehicle industry at Gateshead College will train those already working in the sector, young people and adults, and students from age 14 upwards in manufacturing and maintenance for ultra low carbon vehicles.

The National Trust's Wallington estate is a working agricultural estate near Morpeth with 14 farms and also boasts a mansion and gardens which attract 200,000 visitors each year, with two foresters managing the 800 acres of woodland.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson and Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband today signed a non binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe Ltd (MPSE). The company intends to invest up to £100 million in an offshore wind turbine project in the UK. This will create up to 200 highly skilled jobs.

A total of 1,300 charging points will now be installed across the region over the next three years on streets, in car parks, at residential and commercial locations and at retail and leisure facilities, after OLEV confirmed funding of £2,978,000 for the regional project through its Plugged-In Places programme.

The energy efficiency capital grants scheme is part of a £65m package of new investment for the UK launched today at an event hosted by Lord Mandelson and Regional Economic Development Minister Rosie Winterton.

The ground breaking event, scheduled for today at 10am at the site, is being performed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband and Minister for the North East, Nick Brown.

The region’s reputation built working in the offshore oil and gas and shipbuilding industries has already seen major renewable contracts awarded to firms like Heerema and JDR Cables in Hartlepool and McNulty Offshore in South Tyneside and IHC Engineering Business in Riding Mill.

One North East’s Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) BioeNErgy Assessment Panel has awarded over £60,000 in two phases to Grahame O’Kane of G T O’Kane Timber who specialises in forestry contracting in small woodlands.

The document identifies the region’s strengths and future plans for CCS, whilst making a strong case for further investment in the North East. CCS is necessary for a number of industrial processes to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and is particularly vital in North East England due to the presence of the Chemical and Process Industries, which employ an estimated 26,000 people across the region.

The Northern Wind Innovation Programme, funded by The Northern Way (a partnership of the three northern regional development agencies; One North East, Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and Yorkshire Forward) is being delivered by the New and Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) and Envirolink Northwest.

The Regional Development Agency is currently preparing its bid to the Government’s £30m ‘Plugged-In Places’ initiative, which will effectively provide match-funding for the installation of charging points on streets, in car parks and in commercial, retail and leisure facilities.

The EVA (Electric Vehicles for Advanced cities) consortium answered the call for proposals for an integrated EU demonstration project on electromobility published last 30th of July by the European Commission as part of the Green Car Initiative for economic recovery.

The New and Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) at Blyth is launching its Business Support in Micro-renewables project for small and medium sized Enterprises (SMEs).