Power and Renewable Energy

The region has a long history of manufacturing and innovation in the power and engineering sectors which continues today with a number of global players. Working within a supportive business environment, regional manufacturers and supply chain companies have embraced the challenge of developing and bringing to market a range of renewable and lower carbon energy technologies - PDF - 821kb.

Strengths in the region include:

Fuel Cell Technologies – the region is home to a high concentration of companies and research organisations focused on fuel cell technologies and products including Precision Micro, Ceram and QinetiQ.
Biomass Technologies – the region is home to two national biomass demonstrator projects at Ludlow and Eccleshall, a strong supply chain including leading manufacturers such as Biogen Greenfinch and Talbotts Biomass and world class academic and business support from regional universities and industry organisations.
Wind Energy – the region has a well developed wind energy supply chain with capabilities ranging from the manufacture of small mechanical components to high value electrical assemblies and control systems.

CONTACT ME

Phone: +44 (0) 121 503 3375 Email: Ian Mason

Interactive map of leading Power and Renewable Energy companies in the Heart of England

Areva T&D

Areva T&D is based in Stafford and provides specialist technical services to industry. Capabilities include the design, manufacture and commissioning of complex electrical infrastructure projects both on and offshore. www.areva-td.com

E.ON

E.ON with its UK headquarters in Coventry, E.ON is one of the UK’s leading integrated power and gas companies and is part of the E.ON group, the world’s largest investor-owned power and gas company. Extensive interests and capabilities in conventional and renewable power generation including wind, biomass and CHP. www.eon-uk.com

Alstom

Alstom is a world leader in power generation products and services with strengths in nuclear, thermal, solar, wind and CHP generation. Its site in Rugby is its largest in the UK. Alstom has supplied around 50% of the UK installed generating base and is the leading provider in the power service market. www.alstom.com

Coverteam

Converteam is the UK’s largest exporter to the renewable market, manufacturing electrical converters and generators for the conventional, wind, solar, tidal and wave power markets. Converteam has two manufacturing sites in the region at Kidsgrove (variable speed drives from 22kw to 5MW) and Rugby (marine and offshore renewables). www.converteam.com

Ocean Power Technologies

Ocean Power Technologies specialises in advanced offshore wave power technology from its UK base in Warwick. www.oceanpowertechnologies.com

QinetiQ

QinetiQ is based in Malvern, Worcestershire and is a leading international provider of technology-based services and solutions to the defence, security, energy and environment markets. www.qinetiq.com

National Oil Grid

National Grid headquartered in Warwick and one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world. Owns the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales and operates the system across Great Britain. It also owns and operates the high pressure gas transmission system in Britain delivering gas to 11 million homes and businesses. www.nationalgrid.com

Ricardo UK

Ricardo are a leading provider of technology, product innovation, engineering solutions and strategic consulting to the world’s automotive, transport and energy industries. www.ricardo.co.uk

Encraft

Encraft are a leading independent consulting engineering firm specialising in micro generation, on site renewables and low carbon buildings. www.encraft.co.uk

Market Opportunity

Under the targets set by the renewable energy strategy, by 2020 the UK will:

Generate more than 30% of electricity from renewables (up from about 5.5% today)
Generate 12% of heat from renewables (up from very low levels today)
Source 10% of transport energy from renewables (up from 2.6% currently)
Put in place the mechanisms to provide financial support for renewable electricity and heat worth around £30 billion between now and 2020
Extend and expand the Renewables Obligation for large-scale renewable generation, amend or replace the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to increase use of sustainable biofuels and introduce a new Renewable Heat Incentive and ‘Feed-In Tariffs’ to provide guaranteed payments to individuals, business and communities for renewable heat and small-scale electricity generation.

The Future of Power and Renewable Energy

The Heart of England has whole host of organisations conducting research into the area of Power and Renewable Energy which will take this area forward in the future:

Rugby Power Academy, opening in 2010, the £35 million Academy is part of the new Warwickshire College and will focus on training technicians for the new generation of power stations.
University of Warwick is a leading centre for research into nuclear fusion while the School of Engineering has expertise in renewable energy sources (wind, water, hydrogen), heat transfer and energy efficiency.
Aston University Bioenergy Research Group – is one of the largest university-based research groups in thermal biomass conversion in the world. Aston is also home to the European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) which promotes and manages the implementation of bioenergy technologies at a local, national and European level.
The Institute for Energy Policy and Research at University of Birmingham has significant capabilities in future power systems, hydrogen materials and supply chain research applied to clean hydrogen.
Energy Technologies Institute together with other Midlands Universities, the University of Birmingham hosts and supports the Energy Technologies Institute as part of the Midlands Energy Consortium aimed at accelerating the development and eventual commercial deployment of a range of energy technologies.
Eccleshall Biomass Demonstrator Project is one of the first dedicated bioenergy power plants in the UK operating a 2.6 megawatt generator, fuelled by the energy crop “miscanthus”, other energy crops and clean wood chip. The plant generates enough electricity to run 2,600 homes.
SCRATCH is a hydrogen fuel cell supply chain programme whose aim is to study and implement the supply chain for hydrogen and fuel cell systems in collaboration with regional suppliers.
RESCO builds on the success of the regional wind supply project to develop and extend supply chain opportunities for companies in renewable energy technologies.

Funding and Support

The renewable and low-carbon energy sector is a key priority within the region and extensive plans are being developed on renewable energy infrastructure. £9.5 million is being invested in initiatives to support supply chain improvement, technology development and market exploitation.

Local companies can access funding through a number of different channels to help them meet the challenges the industry must face in developing a low carbon energy future. These include:

The Renewable Energy Supply Chain Opportunities (RESCO) programme
Business Link
Grant for Business Investment (GBI)

Advice and Further Information

The Heart of England Inward Investment team offers the following range of free and confidential services to international and UK based companies that are considering investing, expanding or pursuing other business opportunities within the region;

Land and property searches and advice
Tailored investment proposals addressing specific information requirements
Regional visit programmes
Introductions to providers of business and professional services
Introductions to universities and research and technology providers
Information on potential sources of financial assistance and other forms of support

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Find out more about Power and Renewable Energy and how easy it is to move your business here - call us on +44 (0)121 380 3500 or email.

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