Renewables offer us the chance to lead the revolution
Aug 17 2009 Kevin Rowan, The Journal
IT is not hard in the current environment to be enthusiastic about whatever good news opportunities may be appearing in the regional economy. While we may not be desperate for success we are all scanning the horizon for encouraging signs.
It is important where these do exist, that we take the opportunity to welcome these developments properly and seek to emphasise the good news that they bring.
In my view it is the case that there is much potential in the North East and that the region is increasingly gearing up to take full advantage of it.
Despite the gloom over the automotive industry there have been two very significant announcements at Nissan in Washington.
It has been identified as the site for both the new 2.0litre petrol engines and the location for manufacturing batteries for future electric cars, which will hopefully be manufactured here too.
On Teesside there is much to be anxious about in the chemicals and process sector and Corus remains critically vulnerable.
On the upside, however, I recently visited the Ensus site, soon to be operational in producing bio-fuels, animal protein and starch from animal-feed grain.
This multi-million pound investment in itself is a terrific achievement by the entrepreneurial team who pulled the project together, this scale of private sector finance is unusual for our region and implies a fragile confidence that we need to nurture.
The plant itself, once up and running, will be hugely efficient, with no waste by-product (the starch being used in fizzy drink production) with the animal protein being much richer and better output per acre than imported soya.
The potential for bio-fuels is perhaps the most exciting, with the plant looking to produce around 1% of the current demand, based on the 2020 climate change targets of 20% renewable sources of energy.
However, the 20% is a starting point. Coping with climate change and developing a low carbon future is perhaps the most pressing global political issue.
Renewable energy sources will clearly have a much greater and more significant presence in the future.
Ensus will be in business and in all likelihood expanding for generations.
The next great news story in this area will, I am confident, be the manufacture and installation of offshore wind turbines.
There are individuals in the industry, in the regional development agency and NaREC who have been working on this agenda for a considerable period of time.
The next round of licensing for offshore wind farms, including off the North East coast, could see a major flurry of activity throughout the region, paying off those years of investment.
The North East has led industrial revolutions throughout its history.
There could very well be a steadily gathering perfect storm that will lead to this region leading the next one too – with this being the first and best low-carbon manufacturing excellence region in Europe.
Kevin Rowan is Regional Secretary, Northern TUC
