COMMENT: Well-placed to achieve low-carbon goals

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THE North East’s position on the world stage as a front- runner in the push for a low-carbon future has taken several significant steps in recent weeks.

Monday’s news that Nissan’s Sunderland plant has won a £200m contract to make batteries for electric vehicles is the latest in a series of announcements that reinforces our role as global leaders shaping up to the challenge of climate change.

UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband last week announced the Government’s strategy for meeting carbon emissions targets including a significant increase in renewable energy.

The ambitious plans to generate one-third of UK electricity from renewables by 2020 form the centrepiece of Government plans for a low-carbon future.

NaREC, the New and Renewable Energy Centre based in Blyth, will benefit directly from this strategy with a total of £10m investment to further its expertise in developing sustainable energy sources.

Its expertise in wind and wave energy is attracting companies to the region where they can benefit from the latest testing and prototype development facilities.

In the south of the region, we also saw planning consent granted for a £500m biomass power station at Teesport.

Not only will the new station create an expected 400 jobs during its construction and 150 afterwards, the MGT Power Ltd plant will provide up to 295 megawatts of energy, enough electricity for approximately 600,000 homes across the North East.

This will be one of the world’s largest renewable energy projects of any type and is a major coup for the region.

These three announcements build upon a number of exciting projects also taking place in the North East.

In County Durham, specialist glass manufacturer Romag, based in Consett, has developed a solar canopy that uses photovoltaic panels to charge parked electric cars.

Smith Electric Vehicles, part of the Tanfield Group, is also part of a consortium looking to put a fleet of electric vehicles on the road in the next year.

Banks Developments, based in Tow Law, is targeting wind power as a means of meeting its commitment to renewable targets.

Thorn Lighting in Spennymoor is home to a £3.3m R&D project developing next-generation low-voltage lighting technology.

Working with the Printable Electronics Technology Centre (PETEC), based at NETPark, and NaREC, this project has the potential to have an enormous impact on the planet.

The region has set its sights on being a global player in the low- carbon economy. With these developments, and a raft of others that are planned, we are well-placed to achieve this goal.

Stewart Watkins is the managing director of County Durham Development Company