Businesses, policy makers and educators gathered in Derby for East Midlands Chamber’s 2024 Midlands Energy Summit on 28th November.
Held in partnership with the University of Nottingham’s Energy Institute and East Midlands Freeport, and sponsored by HyDEX and Tomato Energy, the summit took place at Toyota Motor Manufacturing.
Keynote speakers and panel discussions examined energy storage, provision, distribution and technological developments in areas like fission, fusion and hydrogen.
East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore opened the summit. Speaking afterwards he said: “Energy plays a vital role in growing the East Midlands economy and embracing and exploring the storage and production scope we have right on our doorstep is a key part of our Manifesto for Growth – our asks to policy makers that have ensuring the East Midlands thrives at their core.
“Fast-evolving technology has brought a range of attractive clean energy opportunities that make the clean growth journey to Net Zero something businesses can really benefit from.
“The summit today was about marrying the insight businesses in the East Midlands energy sector have as they embark into new technologies and seize its potential, with the detailed research and analysis that our superb universities and academics bring, so that as a region we can lead the way on future energy provision and distribution.”
Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK Senior Manager, Environment and Carbon Neutrality Project John Malpas delivered a talk on initiatives to support the company’s goal to become neutral. After the summit he said: “We have 30 years of experience of energy reduction and decarbonisation.
“It’s that experience we can share with others, in what pathways we’ve taken, what mistakes or hurdles we came across and then what strategies we’ve adopted, what technologies we’ve adopted, so we can share that information with others and help them along their own pathway.
“As you’re decarbonising, there are opportunities to reduce the cost base through energy cost reduction, utility cost reduction and in all our experiences as we’ve gone down this pathway we’ve reduced our costs, and we’re trying to accelerate that to improve our cash flow in the early years, because in the later years when we transition to new technologies, there’ll be investment to make.”
University of Nottingham Professor of Sustainable Building Design Mark Gillott gave a talk on the role of research in shaping future energy landscape. He said: “Research is vital in terms of developing the systems, ideas and technologies of the future to address the big issues such as climate change, but more importantly, working collaboratively across disciplines and with industry is essential to get these research ideas developed in the real world.
“From the University of Nottingham perspective, we’ve focused in on three key themes: communities and the built environment, transport and power and energy storage.”
East Midlands Freeport Chief Executive Tom Newman-Taylor spoke on how to accelerate the region’s journey to Net Zero. He said: “The Freeport can be a catalyst, and in some ways, the glue, to help this region on its journey towards Net Zero, and put ourselves at the forefront of that journey for the nation to become a clean energy superpower.
“We’re working closely with sectors like advanced manufacturing, advanced logistics and energy producers. We have three really compelling development sites, which themselves have Net Zero targets, and we’re also working with partners on the wider enablers of the transition, from green skills to high-end research to low carbon transport solutions.”
HyDEX and Energy Research Accelerator Marketing and Communications Manager Nick King gave a talk on an energy toolkit HyDEX has developed to guide local leaders in their decisions around hydrogen. Afterwards he said: “Through our HyDEX programme we have been bringing together companies, researchers and the public sector in the Midlands who have an interest in hydrogen, to help develop and kickstart the regional hydrogen economy and support innovation, skills and policy.
“It’s vitally important that businesses and universities work together to share knowledge about the latest developments and technologies in energy. The Midlands Energy Summit is an invaluable forum for helping to connect everyone with an interest in energy in the region.”
Tomato Energy Partnerships and Frameworks Manager Iain Wheeler participated in a panel on energy development to meet the changing needs of business and society. He said: “Getting the energy sector together at events like this is absolutely fundamental, as there are examples of best practice where companies have done something innovative, and they’ve already worked out their pathways to decarbonisation – they’ve done it, they’ve committed time and effort and resources into it.
“Those kinds of companies need to be championed and showcased to show the rest of the business community what they’ve achieved. In the panel discussion I was trying to break it down to things we can implement right now, technologies that are commercially available right now, things that are cost effective to do right now.”
