October 2021 – Freeports, Carbon Capture & Rail Freight

October 2021

Positive Autumn Budget announcements for the Humber region alongside green energy news dominated the business headlines throughout October as carbon capture plans progressed and praise was given to the Humber region for its role in driving forward the “green industrial revolution”.

Autumn Budget 2021

In this month’s Autumn Budget delivered by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the first three UK freeports were given the go-ahead to start operations. The Humber region will see one of the first tax sites established as part of the freeports package with significant seed capital resources to ensure the benefits of freeport status are felt across all four Humber local authority areas, including at the South Humber Industrial Investment Programme.

Additionally welcomed news to the area during the Budget was the UK Government’s pledge of £230m in fresh funding for offshore wind.

Carbon Capture

At the beginning of the month, a leading figures behind one of the region’s huge carbon capture and storage plans stated how the Humber could be the industrial equivalent of Silicon Valley. As reported on Business Live, Phil Kirk, Harbour Energy European president and chief executive said delivering what amounts to a final piece in a decarbonisation jigsaw – involving hydrogen, offshore wind, and traditional industry – could ensure prosperity for decades to come.

Later in October, we learned that the East Coast Cluster uniting Humber and Tees was named as the government forerunner in carbon capture deployment. The huge carbon capture and storage proposal taking in much of the Humber and the Teesside industrial hubs has been named as a government forerunner.

East Coast Cluster brings together Zero Carbon Humber, Net Zero Teesside and Northern Endurance Partnership, and aims to remove nearly 50 per cent of all UK industrial carbon dioxide emissions by 2040.

Inspirational Humber Region

The Humber’s global leadership aspirations for Net Zero delivery and knowledge export have been verified by a senior government official. As reported on Business Live, Catriona Graham director for clean growth in Europe with the Department for International Trade addressed The Waterline Summit and told how the Energy Estuary had already inspired the UK’s green industrial revolution as articulated through Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s 10-point plan, thanks to the trailblazing success in offshore wind.

Institute of Technology

Lincoln College Group’s brand-new, multi-million-pound Institute of Technology (IoT) has opened its doors to learners for the first time following a £4.6m refurbishment project; inclusive of £1.6m state of the art equipment.

Businesses in the region looking to develop their workforce and attract the right talent can already benefit from an array of educational institutions and cross-sector training providers. The addition of the Institute of Technology to the list of specialist providers in the Greater Lincolnshire area is a welcome one. As featured on Lincolnshire Today, the IoT has been designed to specialise in delivering higher technical education with a focus on STEM subjects which include Electrical Engineering, Mobile, Web and Visualisation and Streaming services, Computer Automation, Internet of Things and Assistive Technology and hybrid vehicle maintenance courses for Automotive.

Lincoln College has worked alongside employers to ensure the courses provide learners with the industry-relevant skills they will need to overcome some of the key challenges facing the technology industries.

New rail freight service launches

A new rail freight service linking the Port of Immingham to a major inland logistics hub was launched in October. Shipping giant DFDS and IPort Rail in Doncaster have united to launch the Humber Express – the first-ever intermodal service to leave the complex that will free up more than 80 HGV drivers a day to ease pressure on the industry.

The Port of Immingham which is the UK’s largest port per tonnage has begun operating the service with two daily services carrying an initial 22 containers a time, with the potential to scale up significantly.