Thewindsofchange
Jan 22 2008 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette
THE winds of change are blowing through the Tees Valley, lifting the economy and bringing in their wake multi-million pound opportunities for companies in the turbine supply chain.
Wind power will form a major plank of the Renew Tees Valley Environment and Energy Fair taking place later this month.
Among key developments featured, the Boro’s bid to become one of the greenest clubs in the Premier League is likely to have the highest profile, while a £2.5m research facility, hosted by the Welding Institute in Middlesbrough, will make Tees Valley a major centre for wind turbine technology, which shot up the commercial agenda following the Government’s surprise announcement before Christmas to roll out an ambitious offshore wind programme.
We’ve got the power
THE Riverside Stadium is set to become a high-profile demonstration site for wind power in the Tees Valley.
The project, which will help Middlesbrough Football Club become self-sufficient in energy, began with a feasibility study commissioned by Renew Tees Valley (RTV) to examine the club’s renewable energy options.
A planning application for a 3MW wind turbine capable of powering 1,565 Teesside homes is soon to be lodged with Middlesbrough Council.
RTV's commerce manager Paul Jackson, who has acted as adviser on the project from the outset as a member of the steering group set up by the club, said that in comparison with the club’s existing power source, the turbine would reduce carbon emissions by 5,663 tonnes per annum.
Welding the past with the future
A £2.5m research, development and innovation facility is set put the Tees Valley at the heart of the wind turbine industry.
Initiated by RTV, with funding from One NorthEast and the Tees Valley Sub-Regional partnership, the new facility has been established at The Welding Institute’s regional headquarters at Aurora Court, Middlesbrough.
Key equipment includes a reduced pressure electron beam (RPEB), innovative technology for welding thicker sections, advanced ARC welding and surfacing equipment, and technology for joining composites and metals.
The centre is scheduled to be completed in March, with an official opening planned for May.
The Tees Valley’s fabrication and engineering companies are already responding to the concerted efforts of organisations such as TWI and RTV to adapt their skills and expertise to meet the requirements of the renewable energy industries.
TWI Technology Transfer Services, which organises in-depth technical support for small and medium sized companies through the One NorthEast-sponsored REMTEC Technology Transfer Programme, is exceeding all its delivery targets - and an excellent attendance at a recent workshop confirms that the initiative is still gathering momentum. Further information about the programme is available at www.twi.co.uk/remtectt.
As the regional representative of WindSupply, the national organisation tasked with promoting manufacturing opportunities in the wind sector, RTV’s power generation specialist Peter Loftus welcomes the significance of the new facility at a time when two North-east projects are highlighting the sector’s massive potential for growth.
He said: “RTV recently held discussions with Clipper Windpower plc about the potential of harnessing Tees Valley’s engineering expertise in the supply chain for the 7.5MW Brittannia offshore wind turbine - the world’s largest - which it is developing at Blyth, in Northumberland.
“We have also been working with EDF Energy, which has received permission from DBERR to take its plans to construct a major windfarm off the Redcar coast to the next development phase. The planned project comprises up to 30 turbines capable of producing up to 100 MW of power - sufficient to meet the needs of 300,000 households, while reducing carbon emissions by some 300,000 tonnes per annum.”
