Under the Memorandum of Understanding, the Centre for Process Innovation will create an open access innovation and research facility centred on two new pilot plants which are to be installed on Tata Steel’s Teesside Technology Centre site and will extend the existing capabilities of the site to carry out research and development work in the fields of novel sources of fuel and energy, the recovery of raw materials and reductions in the amounts of organic wastes produced. The pilot plants to be installed are a 350 kilogramme pyrolysis oven and 2-metre diameter fully flexible gassifier.
"This project is a good example of a traditional manufacturing industry working with innovative partners to develop new greener products and processes. The Department for Business and UK Trade & Investment have actively supported this project as part of our commitment to promote private sector led growth by investing in a low carbon economy," said the UK’s Business Minister Mark Prisk.
Around half of the £5 million (€5.8 million) project has been funded by the region’s development organisation, One North East, through the Tees Valley Industrial Programme, which is helping to accelerate industrial transition in the area and help the region to seize new and emerging opportunities in low carbon and advanced manufacturing. It will enhance the skills base of the existing innovation centres in the region, creating a technology cluster of global significance. Ian Williams, Director of Business and Industry at One North East, said: “This major new facility will be the largest of its kind in the UK and will further strengthen the global position of the North East process sector”.
What is particularly significant about his investment is that the equipment installed will operate on a scale midway between theoretical, laboratory research and real industrial production, and will enable a range of new technologies to be economically developed and proven on a meaningful scale.
These facilities will be supported with access to Tata Steel's existing high temperature process knowledge and experience, which will in turn be integrated with CPI's knowledge of the process industries, to provide a one-stop shop for high temperature technology and process development.
“It is a natural partnership for Tata RD&T to work with the Centre for Process Innovation to create a national high temperature process centre, given the proven track record both have in successfully developing and implementing new technologies,” said Tata Steel RD&T Director Processes, Mark Sexton. “Our aim is to work with other industries and companies in the field of high temperature process technology, increasing the pace of knowledge and capability development, and thereby bringing additional benefit to our own activities.”
For additional information:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
