The initiative to create the world's first net-zero industrial cluster by 2040 has taken a major step forward after receiving a share of £8m in Government funding.
Net Zero North West hopes to become a world-leader in clean growth, and has been awarded new funding in the latest phase of the Government’s £170m Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge to develop its local Cluster Plan.
The plan will set out the transition to net zero for industry in the North West of England and North East Wales, supporting the region’s plans to establish the UK’s first low carbon industrial cluster by 2030 and world’s first net zero industrial cluster by 2040.
It came after the industry-led group - made up of business, regional leaders and universities – presented outputs from the first phase of its Cluster Plan to Government earlier this year.
It's hoped the Cluster Plan will provide a deliverable investment, technology and infrastructure blueprint to support the region’s net zero transition and turbocharge its low carbon recovery post-Covid.
Projects include hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage scheme, HyNet North West, and the multi-billion pound Mersey Tidal scheme.
Carl Ennis, chairman of Net Zero NW and Siemens UK CEO, said: “Across renewables, hydrogen, CCUS, nuclear and smart grids, our region is in a truly unique position to become a world-leader in clean growth.
"Our cluster is already delivering on the ground and paving the way towards a net zero future, which will protect the manufacturing jobs that have made this region thrive and create a sustainable pipeline of new high value green jobs for our region.
“With the Prime Minister recently laying out his ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution, this new roadmap funding is a timely vote of confidence in our ability to deliver industrial decarbonisation in the North West and make a significant and rapid contribution to the UK’s net zero emission targets.”
Further projects in the cluster include a £500m smart energy grid at Ellesmere Port, and the UK’s first waste plastic to hydrogen facility at Protos in Cheshire.
It's hoped that together they could create at least 33,000 new jobs, unlock £4bn investment and resulting in more carbon savings than the annual carbon emissions of all North West homes.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, added: “We’re already taking urgent action to tackle climate change in Greater Manchester and create a clean, green and vibrant city-region.
"Decarbonising industry and our energy supplies means a new approach where, working together, the North West can create a blueprint for the world. We were the home of the industrial revolution, we can now be the home of a green revolution.”
The shaping of phase 1 of the Cluster Plan began in June 2020.
The consortium is now progressing the project to phase 2 which will start in early 2021 and be delivered over a two-year period.
The Cluster Plan will recommend the technologies, infrastructure changes and investment necessary to transition the North West, working with North East Wales, to net zero carbon by 2040.
The funding is being administered by UK Research and Innovation as part of the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge.
