Speed and clarity of Government policy support can deliver growth and unlock the Humber’s enormous clean energy opportunity, a conference has heard.
Humber Freeport CEO Simon Green told the Yorkshire Post Climate Change Summit in York that future policy development should focus on the business climate and incentives which help secure major inward investment.
Mr Green highlighted the growth opportunities for the Humber in the energy transition, with major investments proposed in the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), hydrogen and associated low carbon infrastructure.
He did, however, warn that if the UK does not provide the right conditions and incentives to support investors, global companies could “simply look elsewhere.”
Humber Freeport’s CEO joined a panel at the regional climate conference, held at the National STEM Learning Centre in York, alongside experts including Dr Iain Harris, Managing Director of the Humber Energy Board.
The two leaders presented a unified message that the “speed and application” of Government policy support was critical to the Humber achieving its ambitions for growth and reindustrialisation.
Now into its sixth year, the Yorkshire Post Climate Change Summit brought together delegates from industry, academia, local government and members of the public to discuss the region’s progress in reducing emissions and adopting low carbon solutions.
Mr Green said: “The energy transition is a global issue but, for industry to deliver and invest in our region, they need the certainty and the confidence which comes from Government policy.
“The longer the Government takes to provide that policy stability, the less likely it is that major projects proposed in the Humber become a reality.
“Speed of delivery, and the application of policy, is critical. The policy shift needs to focus on the incentives which we provide to businesses looking to invest in the UK. If we don’t provide that support, then companies will simply look elsewhere.”
Mr Green and Dr Harris were joined on the panel by Lucy Allis, Interim Strategy Manager for Low Carbon and Environment at the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, and Ian Emberton, Director of solar energy specialist Xerogrid.
The panel focused on what makes Yorkshire a clean energy powerhouse, with conversation centring largely on the Humber.
Mr Green said: “When it comes to climate change, you cannot avoid the obvious fact that the Humber emits four times more carbon than any other estuary in the UK.
“There was a realisation, rightly, that we need to do something about it, and the region has since worked very effectively in a collaborative way to respond to the challenge.
“There will not be a silver bullet for that challenge – it’s about finding the collective solutions that will take the region forwards.”
Dr Harris echoed Mr Green’s view that the Humber has a fantastic opportunity to support the Government’s ambition for growth, but the region relies on the speed and clarity of policy delivery to fulfil its potential.
The Humber Energy Board’s Managing Director said: “The Humber is already an energy powerhouse. We have the people, the natural resources, the skills and the companies to drive the energy transition and reindustrialise the Humber.
“For a long time, fiscal stability was a key advantage for the UK when it came to attracting international investment. In the last few years, though, that has changed and those companies are perhaps looking at us in a different way.
“The investments we are talking about securing are multi-billion pound projects. For that to happen, companies need certainty for 20 or even 30 years, and at the moment that is extremely hard to find.”
During the panel discussion, Mr Green also highlighted the innovation and investment which has taken place at Hull-based manufacturer Ideal Heating.
Humber Freeport seed capital funding supported the development of Ideal Heating’s £20m UK Technology Centre in Hull, a pioneering R&D facility which positions Ideal at the forefront of product development and low carbon technology in the heating industry.
Mr Green hailed Ideal has “a great example” of low carbon innovation, and welcomed “an investment which the region should be very proud of”.
