Decarbonising Dalton has been awarded more than £129,000 by Innovate UK towards a £202,000 12 month-long feasibility study at the rural Dalton Industrial estate near Thirsk, to look into emissions associated with power, heat, materials and transport and how those can be reduced.
Business leaders hope that the solution will find a pathway to net zero for other industrial estates across the country to follow.
It is projected that electricity demand on the estate of 28 businesses, including nine larger companies, will more than double in the next three years and beyond, with planning permission already granted to extend the area by another 22 hectares.
The project will draw up detailed assessments for each business and propose an action plan to take them to net zero whilst minimising offsetting. It will be delivered in five phases – business needs assessments, quick win reductions, shared onsite opportunities, offsite interventions, and collation and knowledge sharing.
Executive member for climate change, Cllr Greg White, said: “There is growing enthusiasm among Dalton business leaders to tackle carbon emissions but there are also constraints on the electricity grid. Owners of the largest businesses – and users – are working together to find a solution that helps them all grow in a more sustainable manner.
“They are looking at innovative ways to maximise benefits for the environment as well as for themselves. They aim to plan a route to net zero for Dalton which will become a blueprint for the decarbonisation of smaller, particularly rural industrial estates across the UK.”
The project is being led by a partnership of ourselves, six Dalton businesses – Cleveland Steel and Tubes Limited, Wetherby Stone Products Limited, Severfield plc, Inspired Pet Nutrition Limited, Citivale Group Holdings Ltd and National Tube Stockholders – and Northern Powergrid.
Partnership spokesperson and head of ESG at Severfield plc, Michaela Lindridge, said: “We are all committed to advancing the decarbonisation of our industries through our normal business so we are thrilled and excited to be able to potentially take the lead in decarbonisation for industry in general.
“Sustainability plays a vital role in the way in which we do business. Together we can support our ambitions for carbon neutral manufacturing in the region, as well as share experience and expertise in green technologies and actively working together to diminish our carbon footprint through sustainable production practices and energy-efficient manufacturing.
“This project presents a unique opportunity to drive sustainability forward for many different businesses and we are excited to see what opportunities lie ahead”
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is the UK’s innovation agency. It works to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. Its mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.
Dr Bryony Livesey, UKRI Challenge Director, Industrial Decarbonisation said: “This project shows the keenness of businesses to collaborate on plans to decarbonise by forming local industrial clusters and working together to drive down emissions. This is a crucial step in tackling decarbonisation at dispersed sites on the UK’s journey towards net zero by 2050.”
