North East Lincolnshire is fast gaining a reputation as a place to invest, develop and deploy new low carbon technologies.
The area is becoming nationally and internationally recognised as a leading area for low-carbon energy, and is already creating and supporting a variety of skilled jobs.
In recent years, Grimsby has developed as a world capital for offshore wind maintenance, and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s has launched the Offshore Wind Operations and Maintenance Centre of Excellence based at the port. Offshore wind power is being used to drive innovation in hydrogen production as part of the area’s ambitions to become a low carbon “Super Place”.
With North East Lincolnshire highlighted as a case study in Government’s Energy White Paper (released 14 December) as a key player in the offshore wind power sector, opportunities are clearly set out where the Humber area should be able to benefit from additional funding being pledged for years to come to support the green revolution.
The Energy White Paper sets out the biggest revolution in the energy sector we have seen for decades. A “green industrial revolution” which will affect everyone’s lives at home and at work. The Prime Minister published his “10 point plan” recently and this White Paper describes in more detail what this will mean for the UK. It will have a significant effect on areas like North East Lincolnshire.
The 10 point plan sets out the approach government will take to invest in making the UK a global leader in green technologies, support green jobs, and accelerate the UK’s path to net zero.
The plan focuses on increasing ambition in the following areas:
- advancing offshore wind
- driving the growth of low carbon hydrogen
- delivering new and advanced nuclear power
- accelerating the shift to zero emission vehicles
- green public transport, cycling and walking
- ‘jet zero’ and green ships
- greener buildings
- investing in carbon capture, usage and storage
- protecting our natural environment
- green finance and innovation
Welcoming the White Paper, Council Leader, Philip Jackson, said that this was great news for the area. “We have been working hard in North East Lincolnshire for a number of years, building our green credentials and now providing a unique place for green industries to thrive.
“The White Paper outlines ways of bringing together technologies such as offshore wind, hydrogen production and carbon capture in areas which will become “super places” in which green industries prosper.
“We have the long-term jobs in offshore wind on our patch, we have our on-shore waste to energy cluster including the exciting waste to aviation fuel project, and also the myenergi expansion at Stallingborough.
“All of this doesn’t happen overnight – it’s through working with businesses over a number of years, and investing in the long-term, that we can make a difference and benefit in terms of jobs and the economy in North East Lincolnshire.”
For more information on the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-ten-point-plan-for-a-green-industrial-revolution
To view the Government’s White Paper, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-white-paper-powering-our-net-zero-future
