Energy and Low Carbon Technology Sector

The Energy Sector in the region has key strengths in the Renewable Energy & Environmental Technologies sector and in the nuclear industries.

Renewable Energy has 3 main areas of focus:

1. Energy based market development in On / Offshore Wind; Biomass; Photovoltaic
2. Promoting Carbon Management as a means to sustainable investment
3. Promoting the North East internationally as a UK hub for Renewable Energy

In developing these markets, our principle strategic focus is creating effective business networks, developing sophisticated supply chains, exploiting the skills base, technology and natural resources, project development and leveraging corporate investment from the wider renewables industry.

The sector manager provides strategic leadership and management for companies in the renewable energy sector working in close collaboration with NaREC (New & Renewable Energy Sector)

In addition, we also work with the EIF (Environmental Industries Federation) who are the trade association for member companies in various sub-sectors of the Environmental Industries. These include water & effluent treatment, waste management & recycling, environmental impact and pollution control, landscape industries, environmental instrumentation, energy management, land remediation, biomass and air pollution control. 

Major players who are part of this sector in the North East include:

• Econnect
• SMD Hydrovision
• AMEC Wind Energy
• CE Electric
• Engineering Business
• Romag

The nuclear sector can be divided into four market opportunities; plant life, decommissioning, new build and technology. 

Most nuclear plants in th UK and the EU are underdoing life extension programmes. Companies in the region are engaged in this market in terms of potential supply chain opportunities. The decommissioning market in the UK alone is worth an estimated  £50 billion over the next 50 – 75 years over 20 civil nuclear sites. This does not include defence sites at all.  The new build market is global with significant new builds announced in Europe and in Asia.  Any potential new build scheme for the UK would suggest a possible 10 plants worth an estimated 30 billion in total. European and international new build programmes have already been announced and some agreed.

North East companies currently involved in the nuclear, offshore  and oil and gas sector as well as environmental companies with experience in the chemical sector specifically have an opportunity for contracts in this sector.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) was established in April 2005 to oversee the decommissioning of all 20 sites in the UK. The main tier one contractors are BNG and UKAEA, BE are currently not included in this work. Part of the NDA's role is to encourage the widening of the supply chain to encourage competitiveness and innovation from other sectors of industry. 

Fusion programme: 1 billion expenditure over the past 10 years.

Major players who are part of this sector in the North East include:

• Amec
• Aker Solutions
• Mitsui Babcock
• Hertel
• SEC Ltd
• Mowlem Nuclear
• Faithful and Gould
• ERS
• Corus
• Express Engineeering
• INTEC
• Rolls Royce Nuclear Engineering Services
• SEC Environmentals Ltd

One North East is a member of the Nuclear Industries Association, the trade association for the UK nuclear industry.

The British Nuclear Energy Society (BNES), a learned society for the nuclear sector, has recently established a North East branch.