Energy Centre opened as Newcastle aims to cut carbon emissions

By Kris Jepson

A new Energy Centre has opened in Newcastle as the City Council aims to cut carbon emissions.

The £20m District Energy Centre at the city’s Helix site will save 30,000 tonnes of carbon over 40 years. That is enough to fill Wembley Stadium 15 times.

The opening comes just days after Newcastle City Council revealed it had slashed its carbon footprint by 13 per cent in the last financial year.

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The new technology will supply heating and cooling to 10 commercial buildings and up to 450 proposed new homes on the Helix site.

One company which is already benefiting from the energy plant is MDNA Life Sciences, which is housed in The Biosphere Building. The firm researches mitochondrial biology and genomics, using groundbreaking discoveries to develop a range of innovative molecular tests to help detect hard to diagnose diseases.

This work is reliant on energy.

It is hoped the new centre, which is a joint venture between Newcastle City Council and global energy firm Engie, will be the first of many energy projects from the partnership over the next 40 years.

The centre received funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Government's Local Growth Deal through the North East Local Enterprise Partnership.

Newcastle City Council cut its own emissions by 13 per cent in 2019 and recently signed off plans to clean up air quality, which will involve charging some drivers up to £50 to drive into the city.

The council says today’s opening further underlines its commitment to tackling climate change.