The business has had the support of county’s low carbon innovation agency RedCAT, which helped it build a working demonstration unit with a pharma company in Northumberland.
David Grundy lists the sectors where EnergiVault can make a difference. “Air conditioning in big hotels and warehouses, cold stores, pharma manufacturing, data centres, wherever you go industry needs cooling,” he says.
“The units save money and reduce carbon footprints as well as boosting operational resilience.
“We are just at the point of commercialisation and we’re talking with manufacturers, including one possibility in east Lancashire.”
O-Hx is just one business on an impressive list of Lancashire’s innovators – the tech pioneers leading the county’s low carbon industrial revolution.
Aquaspira is another. It designs and manufactures underground pipelines and tank systems from its Nelson base. They are made from composite steel reinforced polyethylene (CSR) with a 120-year life expectancy – rather than concrete with its high carbon cement content.
Currently they are being used by utility companies and for commercial applications across the UK. Low material and manufacturing costs are further underpinned by a smaller excavation footprint and faster programme times and an 85 per cent use of recycled steel.
Neil Wallace is managing director of the business, which has a 40-strong workforce. He says: “Concrete manufacturing emits a massive amount of carbon, accounting for roughly eight per cent of global Co2 emissions.”
The business has a turnover in the region of £20m and given the need for utility companies to invest heavily in their infrastructure, Neil is forecasting it will double or even treble in the next few years.
Aquaspira has also been on its own carbon reduction journey and continues to invest in R&D to bring forward new climate-related low carbon technologies and develop new markets.
It is looking at how remote sensors and optical fibre cables embedded in its pipe sections can send real-time stress and strain data to operator IT systems.
The company also believes it can tap into a
huge global market for ground source heating in colder climates and ground source cooling in warm locations.
“That’s something we are working on at the moment, with a demonstrator that will be running in the first quarter of the year,” says Neil.
AirPlus Renewables is based outside Lancashire but it is looking to manufacture its technology in Burnley – tapping into east Lancashire’s engineering know-how.
It has developed its technology around wind turbines. Its revolutionary patented vertical-axis
Expert View SHAPING OUR
NET ZERO FUTURES By Michael Dugdale,
Managing director, Trident
Lancashire has always been a place that knows how to move with the times. Innovation is woven into our history, and it’s encouraging to see that same mindset shaping the region’s role in the net-zero transition.
Across the county, we’re seeing more businesses rethink how they operate. Manufacturers are finding smarter ways to cut emissions and energy and data specialists are developing tools that give organisations clearer visibility of their energy use, and more leaders are recognising that sustainability can strengthen performance as well as reputation.
Several promising projects are also gathering pace. The proposed Silicon Sands development in Blackpool could bring new digital capability and clean- growth investment into the area.
Fylde Energy’s plans for micro-nuclear generation at the Wyre estuary show how innovators are exploring new forms of low- carbon power close to home.
At Samlesbury Enterprise Zone, the low- carbon programme is helping businesses
adopt greener technologies and build future-ready skills. The Eden Project Morecambe tells a similar story, combining education, regeneration and environmental action in a way that feels accessible.
Innovation doesn’t always come from headline projects though. Through our work, we see that many businesses want to decarbonise but often feel unsure about where to start. Progress usually begins with simple, practical steps.
When a business understands its energy use, measures emissions accurately and fixes the gaps in its data, it becomes more confident about what to do next. That clarity helps turn intention into action and makes improving efficiency or supporting community projects, like Ribble Rivers Trust, feel achievable.
Lancashire has the talent, creativity and determination to build a strong net zero future. There’s a real sense that the county is not just responding to change but helping to lead it. If we keep backing that spirit, I’m confident the region will help shape what comes next for the UK.
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micro wind turbines are designed to deliver reliable, decentralised energy anywhere, from remote rooftops to commercial sites and off-grid environments.
Carl Everitt, the company’s operations and supply chain director, says the plan is to launch the product later this year. He adds: “There is a lot of international interest in it. It is something that is going to allow businesses to take control of their energy generation at source.
“We are excited to be bringing this technology forward and for its possibilities.”
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