Work underway to design new £2.8 million net zero building in South Tyneside which could create more than 40 permanent jobs

It is hoped the £2.8 million Northern Renewable Energy Centre of Excellence (NRECE) would act as a flagship venue highlighting the region’s skills and knowledge on a national stage, according to South Tyneside Council.

The council successfully bid for funding from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Project Development Accelerator Fund, and is now developing designs and a business case, as well as carrying out site investigation works.

The project would be part of the Holborn Renewable Energy Network, in South Shields, and would feature a 7km-long green eco-walk linking it to the borough’s two other groundbreaking district heating schemes at Hebburn and Jarrow.

It is envisaged the centre would create 47 temporary construction and design roles, in addition to more than 40 permanent jobs, including academics, operation and maintenance technicians and front of house staff.

Cllr Tracey Dixon, leader of South Tyneside Council, said: “South Tyneside is ideally placed to develop this incredibly exciting project. We have three highly-innovative renewable energy schemes underway in the borough, one of which is the first of its kind in the country.”

“It would be a key venue for skills development, particularly STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] skills, right from primary through to higher education, allowing students to see the energy network in practice and inspiring them about careers in the green economy. It would also be an iconic visitor attraction at the heart of our move towards carbon neutrality.”

The project is being developed with South Tyneside College, Durham and Northumbria Universities and the UK Coal Authority.

It is hoped that the building would be used to provide a venue for educational visits, skills training and research, and become a major tourism attraction.

Helen Golightly, chief executive at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “South Tyneside is already at the forefront of the green industrial revolution in the UK, and the creation of the Northern Renewable Energy Centre of Excellence in the borough would highlight the skills, expertise and talent available here in the North East.”

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