Professor Sara Walker is an adviser to government on the net zero agenda. She’s also Professor of Energy and Director of The Centre for Energy at Newcastle University, and has spent time in academia and in industry. Here, she gives her view on how the North East can convert its strengths into economic and community benefits for everyone.

Our current energy offer

The North East has a healthy renewable energy sector. That’s thanks to historical infrastructure which has left us with a strong electricity network able to support a reasonable amount of generation, and also thanks to major new developments, like Dogger Bank, and testing and research facilities like the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult in Blyth.

Our history also means we can benefit from the growing interest in geothermal energy and heat obtained from water in disused mines. It’s interesting to see that the legacy of coalmining is now enabling us to move towards cleaner energy sources. It’s a way for the North East to refresh its relationship with the energy sector.

Addressing current global energy challenges

The post-COVID recovery and the war in Ukraine have both had an impact on global energy prices and have led to more emphasis in government policy on energy self-sufficiency. What might this mean for the North East?

There’s no easy solution to these global problems but the potential to produce energy on our own shores, and the potential for that energy to be cleaner, is a real opportunity and where I think policy should head.

And challenges we face as a region

There are also specific challenges we face in the North East, especially when it comes to decarbonisation of homes and buildings.

Our average winter temperatures are slightly lower than other areas and, in winter, the sun is lower in the sky so we’re getting less solar energy gain into our homes. Compared with other parts of the UK, we have a high proportion of homes using oil for heating, and our housing stock is often older and non-uniform, particularly in rural areas. So insulation and improvement works can’t be done on a one-size-fits-all basis like it can in some city centres, and where population density is lower, transport and delivery costs are higher.

These are just some of the distinctive aspects of our region which mean we need to consider bespoke solutions.

How can university research and collaboration help solve these problems and deliver investment and job opportunities?

The five North East universities are collaborating with each other and with industry on issues around energy, and these partnerships and research can deliver real investment, job and community benefits.

One of the ways collaboration is facilitated is through the North East Energy Catalyst – a partnership which unites the North East’s leading energy innovation, demonstration and delivery capabilities to develop and showcase solutions to global energy challenges. Through this forum we talk with industry partners and local energy utilities about possible research and innovation ideas the universities can support - it’s a really great way of opening up those conversations.

In terms of the benefits to our region, these partnerships can help local authorities shape regional energy projects to deliver maximum benefits for communities, including rural communities.

University partnerships can provide funding and support for businesses to develop new ideas - for example, Newcastle University’s Arrow programme gives SMEs access to research support.

And our research and training is creating the next generation of leaders in the energy sector. It is really important for these people to move into jobs in the region, and we see ourselves as regional anchors, helping our student population develop an affinity and relationship with the North East and put their learning into practice locally.

Converting our strengths into economic opportunities

What else should we be doing to maximise opportunities for the North East?

A key thing is to use our green credentials to attract industry to the region. Having a relatively high proportion of our energy coming from cleaner sources – plus the visibility of businesses like Nissan, which has its own wind and solar generation - is attractive to businesses that want a greener energy mix.

There are also opportunities for the companies already based here to adjust their products and services to match the needs of the renewable sector. So we’ve been talking with businesses about how existing products can be adapted for use in the hydrogen economy.

And we have an opportunity to provide more skilled, higher value jobs for people in our region. Historically, the North East has strong engineering skills and many of these can be transferred over to meet the needs of the growing clean energy sector.

Positioning the North East as a key contributor nationally

When it comes to positioning the North East as a key player nationally, it’s helpful to have fewer but louder voices. So the devolved structure we have with local mayors helps to give the North East a strong voice, championing a number of communities.

It’s also important to have a shared understanding and a common message around what our strengths are and I think this is where we can do more. The prospectus being developed by Net Zero North East England will be a really important part of this puzzle, providing a shared voice to position the North East’s contribution to national decarbonisation. Through this, we can all act as ambassadors for each other and for the region.