North East to spearhead green economy
Jul 16 2009 By William Green, The Journal
THE North East was yesterday put in the driving seat to transform Britain into a green economy.
The Government placed the North East at the heart of a new low-carbon industrial strategy with the promise of funding to lead an economic revolution.
Experts said the North East was now in "pole position" to benefit from the move to a green economy.
The news is also a boost to The Journal’s Great North Revolution campaign, aiming is to make the region’s economy fit for the 21st Century.
The Government announced the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) in Blyth, Northumberland, will be given up to £10m to develop wave and tidal test facilities. The cutting-edge centre could receive further support, with ministers earmarking up to £120m to boost offshore wind power development.
The new strategy stresses the need to build on local strengths and recognises the region is already a leader in wind power. And Tyneside will be home to the Marine Management Organisation, which will licence offshore energy schemes apart from "mega-projects" but will have a major say on them.
The North East has also been identified as a potential site for a carbon capture and storage project, which would stop harmful emissions entering the atmosphere.
England’s largest biomass power station will be built in Tees Port, near Middlesbrough, creating around 400 construction jobs and 150 posts once it is operational. It will be powered by 2.4m tonnes of clean wood chip fuel per year and provide a huge amount of clean energy.
The region could benefit from up to another £10m of Whitehall cash to install electric vehicle charging points across UK cities, with the North East already leading the way.
And the North East could become a "low carbon economic area", which would see regional agencies working with the Government to boost green industries. That could see free or cut-price car parking fees for low-carbon vehicles and Whitehall cash to encourage green developments by removing expensive and time-consuming planning applications.
