Industry experts gathering to look at Humber’s energy role

The role the Humber will play in the conversion to “greener” forms of energy will be put under the spotlight by industry experts in Hull on May 4.

The estuary is home to major manufacturing, petro-chemical and energy industries which will undergo major change as a result of the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

The development of a £200m biofuels plant in the city, smaller initiatives like the £9m biogas plant near Driffield and the wind turbine manufacturing plant in Hull planned by energy giant Siemens are signs of wider changes to come.

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Delegates at the New Energy Economy event at the University of Hull will be told of the challenges and opportunities they will bring over the next 20 years.

Senior figures in the energy sector, including Prof Ed Gallagher, chairman of the Renewable Fuels Agency; Philip New, chief executive of BP Biofuels; and Sarwjit Sambhi, managing director of Power Generation, Centrica Energy; will be offering insights into how the balance between traditional and new energy sources is developing and changing.

A question and answer discussion will be chaired by Tom Heap, BBC Countryfile presenter and Panorama reporter.

The conference is being organised by Humber Chemical Focus Ltd and the University’s Centre for Adaptive Science & Sustainability.

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Dr Glyn Hughes, chief executive of HCF, said: “In some ways we are blessed in the sense that the Humber region has a pretty high concentration of what I would call the UK’s capital industries, the energy generation sector, the chemical and processing industry sector and food.

“One measure of how we punch above our weight is the concentration of manufacturing companies in the area; we export 75 per cent of products from paints to pharmaceuticals.

“Alongside these industries is a very large power generation sector at Ferrybridge, Drax and the South Bank; we import huge amounts of oil, gas and coal, both as a feedstock for power stations and chemical and processing industries.

“This region is designated as an area in the UK which is scheduled to receive very significant investment in renewable, bio-fuels and bio-mass to energy and in a colossal scale in the form of offshore wind farms.

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“The challenge comes in the form of the scale of the money that is going to be required, the range of technology that is going to be employed and the reaction from the community.”

As many as 10,000 jobs could be created as a result of the Siemens decision to build a wind turbine manufacturing plant in Hull.

However that is only part of the bigger picture, said Dr Hughes, as energy-intensive industries, like the chemicals and processing sector, are forced to use more sustainable materials.

Dr Hughes said: “I definitely would forsee both the conversion of some large scale plants to using more biomass, but also with the current legislation, we should see growth in the smaller bio-mass to energy sector such as anaerobic digestion. We are very much lagging behind out European neighbours.”

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The £9m GWE Biogas plant which recently opened will process up to 50,000 tonnes of food waste each year and produce sufficient biogas to provide electricity to more than 2,000 homes

Prof Stephanie Haywood, director of CASS, added: “We are in a period of major transition and ultimately, all of the region’s companies will be affected by the emerging technologies and legislation around climate change.

“It is therefore critical to raise the profile of the issues and help the region step up to the new challenges.”

Delegate places cost £75 plus VAT or £50 plus VAT for HCF members. The event runs from 4pm to 9pm. For more information call Bethan Clayton, at HCF on 01469 552841 or e-mail [email protected].

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