Last month (January 2023) the North West was the first region to reveal its roadmap to decarbonisation. The North West Cluster Plan published by Net Zero North West sets out the action needed to supercharge the region’s green industrial revolution and deliver the UK’s first zero carbon cluster by 2040.
Unveiled by Andy Carter MP at an event at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the Cluster Plan demonstrates a £30bn pipeline of live investable projects with the opportunity for £207bn to be invested in the region overall.
The North West is the first region to reveal its Cluster Plan, providing a blueprint for the rest of the UK. It follows the publication last week of Chris Skidmore MP’s net zero review ‘Mission Zero’, which showcased the huge global opportunity in decarbonisation and the need for the UK to move quickly.
Andy Carter, MP for Warrington South, said: “I had the pleasure of launching Net Zero North West’s manifesto in 2021, which showed how the region can spearhead the UK’s transition to net zero by 2050, and the publication of today’s Cluster Plan shows how we’re doing just that. The North West is harnessing its strengths in advanced manufacturing, energy intensive industry and regional collaboration to become the UK’s first net zero region by 2040 and seize the economic opportunity of our generation.
“The Mission Zero review has been crystal clear that business needs more policy and funding support if it is to fulfil its crucial role in delivering a green industrial revolution. I will be encouraging the government to give the Net Zero North West Cluster Plan the attention it deserves and prioritise backing our region’s industry to accelerate this blueprint for clean growth.”
The two year Cluster Plan project was jointly funded by UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), under the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge Fund (IDCF), and by industry and will form part of a national cluster plan strategy being prepared by UKRI and Government.
Peel NRE, part of Peel L&P, is a key partner in the Cluster Plan project with Protos identified as one of the priority investment opportunities within the region.
Steven Underwood, Chief Executive at Peel L&P said: “The Cluster Plan shows the significant progress the region has already made towards net zero. It brings together the huge range of projects we have - from harnessing tidal power in the Mersey, to strategic energy hubs like Protos in Cheshire to hydrogen and carbon capture – which can all work together to reduce industrial carbon emissions to zero. This pipeline of projects will drive investment into the region and ensure the North West is at the forefront of the green industrial revolution.”
Protos Development Director Jane Gaston was speaking at the launch event about the various initiatives at Protos that are contributing to the North West’s journey to net zero, including plans for a local CO2 network, and the UK’s first Plastic Park.
Jane said: “A lot of hard work and partnership working has gone into making the Cluster Plan happen. For the first time we have a holistic view of the wide ranging projects across the North West that will make net zero a reality and a clear route map to decarbonisation. We should all be very proud of what we’ve achieved but this isn’t the end of the journey, it’s the beginning. Continuing this collaboration will be vital in achieving our ambition to be the world’s first net zero industrial cluster by 2040.”
To download a copy of the report visit www.netzeronw.co.uk