Friday 1 October 2021

Net zero project at Teesworks Freeport wins £175,000 grant

A £175,000 grant has been awarded for a project that aims to help the new Teesworks Freeport become the first UK net zero carbon industrial cluster.

Environmental regulators from the Environment Agency will work in partnership with operators and developers in the Tees Valley to co-design systems that support the sustainable economic growth in the new Freeport.

The Teesworks Greener Freeport project will investigate how permitting can be used as a positive tool to reduce air and water emissions as part of the overall ambition of the industrial cluster.

Projects announced include a 4.5 million square feet manufacturing space for offshore wind that could create 4,000 new direct jobs, paving the way for Teesworks to become the UK's premier location for offshore wind.

It also aims to lead the way in decarbonising the UK's economy by using carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).

Funding has been provided through BEIS' £3.7 million Regulators' Pioneer Fund, which enables UK regulators and local authorities to help create a regulatory environment that unleashes innovation – and is hoped it will incentivise companies towards greener manufacturing processes and business operations helping to tackle climate change.

Eddie Halstead, Project Lead at the Environment Agency, which is working closely with Natural England on the project said: “The Tees estuary has a complex ecosystem that hosts the largest UK Freeport as well as being a highly protected environment.

“This project presents a unique opportunity to test the interface of two key pillars of the post EU exit policy – the levelling up agenda and the forthcoming environmental bill.

“It will achieve mutual benefit for low carbon business and operators and environmental regulators and produce learning that can be replicated for emerging Freeports across the UK.”