Showcase centre of low-carbon excellence at heart of council’s £40m Levelling-Up bid

THREE pioneering low-carbon energy projects – including a flagship centre of excellence to showcase the region’s low-carbon energy expertise – are at the heart of a £40million bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF).

The projects are being developed by South Tyneside Council, which has just entered the second round of bidding to the LUF, under which £4.8billion is up for grabs for local infrastructure projects designed to enhance people’s lives.

The council is bidding for money to support a range of ambitious projects to re-shape South Tyneside’s towns, with the green economy high on its agenda.

Its bid includes:

• an air-source heating system for council buildings in Hebburn (originally the Hebburn Minewater Scheme);
• an integrated multi-energy source zero-carbon heating system for public buildings in South Shields, known as the Holborn Renewable Energy Network (HREN), which will save a forecast 4,800 tonnes of carbon a year, and;
• a low-carbon energy visitor centre of excellence in South Shields, designed to highlight the North East’s skills and expertise in zero-carbon energy.

The latter is to form part of the HREN in South Shields, on which work has already started and which will use various carbon-free energy sources – from underground minewater and Tyne river water, to solar panels and recycled energy from electricity generation – to heat public buildings in South Shields.

The design for the 220-sqm triangular visitor centre was revealed only this month, and the venue is intended to cater for educational visits, skills training and research.

It will be two-storey: the lower level housing the energy centre for the heat network and the upper level holding the Centre of Excellence.

South Tyneside Council says the centre should create 47 construction and design roles, and about 40 permanent jobs, including academics, operation and maintenance technicians and front-of-house staff.

The Holborn Renewable Energy Network is expected to save 4,800 tonnes of carbon a year and is being developed in collaboration with South Tyneside College, Durham, Newcastle and Northumbria Universities and the UK Coal Authority.

Coun Tracey Dixon, leader of South Tyneside Council, said: “This centre is a key component of our three-part Levelling Up bid.

“This package seeks to showcase our expertise, boost footfall and visitor numbers and ensure residents have access to the skills and training to provide a clear pipeline for new green jobs.

“South Tyneside has enormous potential to be right at the forefront of the green revolution, but we need further support and investment to play to our strengths and ensure local people can gain full benefit from those opportunities.

“We’re confident that we’ve submitted a really strong bid.”