Funding, development opportunities and support for businesses interested in bioenergy set to be showcased

Businesses interested in bioenergy development in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire are being offered insight in to available funding streams, potential sites for development, and free support.

Run in collaboration with the European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University, a free event will take place at the Stone House Hotel in Stone between 8am and 10.30am next Monday, October 6.

Attendees will hear about the work of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership in supporting business investment and development.  Aston University partners will detail how EBRI’s bioenergy expertise is able to support businesses in using innovative technologies to develop products and services and to maximise energy efficiency in their plans for business expansion.

People can book a place or receive further information by emailing bioenergy@aston.ac.uk  or calling 0121 204 5318.

David Frost, chairman of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership, said: “Our area is already home to world-class research and facilities supporting the development of sustainability technologies at our two universities. The prospect of bringing further experience in bioenergy technology to the area to benefit our vibrant business community is welcomed. The energy security that bioenergy can offer for businesses presents real opportunities. Equally there is a real advantage for existing or new businesses working in the supply chain providing equipment and services for bioenergy solutions to collaborate with an innovative research institute such as EBRI. This event will show businesses that there are funding streams available from the LEP as well as from European programmes. Additionally our enterprises will be able to learn about the opportunities available to them through learning or collaboration with EBRI.”

Tom Anderson, Business Development Manager at EBRI said: “The development and application of bioenergy technology has been identified as an acute priority for the West Midlands as the geographical constraints limit the region’s potential to generate renewable energy from alternative technologies such as wind, marine and tidal power – addressing this issue head on is fast becoming a must for businesses and entrepreneurs in the region.

“We want to transfer our specialist knowledge around bioenergy to businesses in the West Midlands, assisting and collaborating with them, and making sure that the organisations are, firstly, aware of the vast potential of the bioenergy market regardless of their own sector; and, secondly, that they are taking advantage of the commercial opportunities. Ultimately our goal is to support the commercialisation of emerging bioenergy technologies to stimulate growth in the region’s manufacturing, power technologies and engineering sectors leading to the development of an internationally-competitive bioenergy supply chain in the West Midlands.”

This event is one of six which will see the EBRI partner with local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) across the West Midlands. EBRI currently has funding from a €8m to promote and support the adoption of bioenergy.  The BioenNW project sees EBRI working with 11 European partners to increase the rate of implementation of bioenergy provision within North West Europe by facilitating the development of local, small scale biomass energy schemes.