The Solent Cluster takes aim at the region’s CO2 emissions
The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership and University of Southampton are among the founding partners of a new Solent decarbonisation initiative.
Through cross-sector collaboration, The Solent Cluster is aiming to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from industry, transport and households across the Solent and Southern England.
It brings together a range of organisations involved in the region, from manufacturers and engineering companies to logistics and infrastructure operators working at both an international and regional level, along with academic institutions with carbon and hydrogen technology expertise.
Along with securing existing jobs, the Cluster would look to produce low-carbon fuels for use in the maritime and aviation sectors along with generating energy to heat private and public buildings. This would be carried out at founding member ExxonMobil’s Fawley complex.
If successful, this could put the Solent on centre stage in the UK’s production of low-carbon fuels, helping the country reach net zero by 2050 by capturing around three million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Anne-Marie Mountifield, chief executive of Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Decarbonisation is at the heart of our economic strategy for the area and the creation of The Solent Cluster will sit alongside our ambition to pioneer approaches to climate change adaptation and decarbonization, linked to our coastal setting, and establishing real expertise which other regions – nationally and globally – can learn from.
“The Solent Cluster will provide a platform for the excellent work that is already taking place and the partnership has a unique opportunity to affect real change in energy production and consumption, establishing the Solent and wider region as a leading centre for low carbon investment now and in the future.”
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By pooling resources together in collaboration, the cluster could also unlock new investment opportunities for decarbonisation projects from the government.
Dr Lindsay-Marie Armstrong, associate professor of mechanical engineering and academic cluster lead for the Solent Industrial Decarbonisation Cluster at University of Southampton, said: “The Solent is recognised as one of the leading contributors of CO2 emissions with approximately 3.2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions released from energy-intensive manufacturing processes every year.
“To form a decarbonisation cluster that spans the public, private and higher education sectors is a monumental step forward for the region.
“It will introduce sustainable fuels for local transportation, the aviation and the shipping sectors; create low carbon energy to heat homes, businesses and public buildings; and open up new highly skilled jobs opportunities.
“This can only be achieved by working together as a community, covering all sectors and ultimately working with the same desire to achieve a low carbon economic future for the Solent region.”
Along with the Solent LEP, University of Southampton and ExxonMobil, other members of the 41 founding organisations include: Associated British Ports, British Airways, DP World, Red Funnel, Southampton Airport, Southampton FC and Wightlink.
Matt Crocker, senior vice president of low carbon solutions at ExxonMobil, said: “Fawley stands ready to play its part in shaping the journey to start reducing carbon emissions from the Solent and beyond.”
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Featured image: (L-R) Matt Crocker – Senior Vice President of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions; Dr Lindsay-Marie Armstrong – Associate Professor within the School of Engineering at the University of Southampton and Solent Academic Cluster lead for the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre; Anne-Marie Mountifield – Chief Executive of Solent LEP; and Will Lochhead – Deputy Director of Industrial Carbon Capture and Hydrogen Business Models. Credit: SolentLEP
