Northwest renewable energy sector gets £2.3 million boost

The Low Carbon Market Development Programme (LCMDP) will be delivered through Envirolink Northwest which aims to create 43 jobs and assist 185 businesses via the scheme. The Northwest has more renewable energy sites than any other part of the country and the LCMDP aims to capitalise on this, said the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), which is backing the programme.

The programme partners say that despite the market opportunities created by Government legislation and support for low carbon technologies, there are many barriers to their adoption and implementation, such as poor public perception of many renewable energy technologies, planning and financing difficulties and issues with connection to the electricity network.

"This [project] will not only enable the Northwest to play its part in delivering the Government’s Renewable Energy Strategy but will also enable the Northwest’s energy and environmental and wider manufacturing industry to capitalise on this important market," said Nick Storer, chief executive of Envirolink Northwest.

The LCMDP will work by increasing the region’s market for renewable energy technologies, while acting as a stimulus to grow indigenous renewable business, attracting inward investment and providing support services. It will focus on technologies that have been identified as key to the region such as onshore and offshore wind, micro-generation, small-scale renewables and energy from waste.

Funded with £1 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and £1.3 million from the NWDA, the programme is expected to lever £1.8 million in private sector investment and save two million tonnes of C02 over three years.

NWDA chief executive Steven Broomhead said: “The Low Carbon Market Development Programme represents a further opportunity for England’s Northwest to show leadership in delivering a low carbon economy. The programme coincides with a recent report that reveals England’s Northwest is at the forefront of the UK’s shift to low carbon, with 140 sites generating renewable electricity – more than any other English region.

"As lead Regional Development Agency for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the NWDA will play a key role in national strategies to hit carbon targets that demand 34 per cent less emissions by 2020 and 80 per cent less by 2050 nationally.”

Last week, the North East launched a £1.6 million programme to enable the region's small to medium-sized businesses get the most out of low carbon technologies.