Net Zero North West (NZNW) is pleased to announce Arup, Cubico and Encyclis have joined the industrial cluster’s new associate membership tier. The three organisations signify a further boost to NZNW’s focus on building a fully geographic and sector-representative partnership that drives a Whole System approach to industrial decarbonisation in the region.
The tailored associate membership package has been designed with organisations seeking to enhance their role in driving decarbonisation initiatives in mind. It offers insight and helps them build networks that will shape the region’s transition to a carbon-free economy.
Among the benefits of associate membership tier are access to the organisation’s Project Intelligence Platform, which provides data and updates on key industrial decarbonisation projects. This essential information helps guide their participation and decision-making. Members can also access NZNW’s library of industry reports and research which give insight into broader decarbonisation efforts.
The three companies will also receive regular updates and briefings on emerging policies, regulations and trends in decarbonisation which may affect their industries, with their voices heard through participation in thematic groups and other collaborative and networking opportunities.
Arup’s membership will support the professional services company’s decarbonisation projects, including the Liverpool City Region’s Five-Year Climate Action Plan, which outlines the actions the combined authority must take to support City Region Mayor, Stever Rotheram’s, net zero targets. Also on Merseyside, Arup has delivered a decarbonisation plan for Liverpool John Lennon Airport, while across the North West as a whole they have worked in collaboration with Cadent on the North West Hydrogen Vision to support the region’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
Commenting on Arup’s associate membership of NZNW, the company’s Associate Director, Mike Copson, said: “Arup is delighted to become associate members of NZNW. As a global engineering consultancy with advisory and technical expertise across more than 150 disciplines, it is our mission to guide, plan and design the future of the built environment.
“Given the importance of decarbonisation across the North West to the UK’s journey to net zero, we look forward to actively collaborating with other fellow members to help achieve this vision,” he added.
Meanwhile, Cubico’s membership will assist the independent renewables company in the collaborative development of their projects, with a particular focus on the expansion of the Scout Moor wind farm as it is set to become the largest onshore facility in the country. The 130MW Frodsham solar scheme will be another key focus as the planned development exports clean power to the National Grid.
Lucas Pegoraro, UK Country Head at Cubico Sustainable Investments, said: "We recognise the North West’s proud industrial heritage and the unique opportunity it presents in the transition to a low-carbon future. We're pleased to be part of NZNW, collaborating with industry partners to deliver landmark renewable energy projects such as Frodsham Solar and Scout Moor 2, making a meaningful contribution to the region’s clean power targets."
Encyclis is the owner and operator of energy recovery facilities that fulfil an essential public sanitation service by safely and sustainably treating society’s residual waste. The Energy-from-Waste process diverts non-recyclable waste from landfill and export while generating baseload electricity, heat and recovering resources such as metals and aggregates for reuse, supporting the transition to a more circular economy.
One of the company’s most significant projects is the ongoing development of its Protos facility which is in the heart of the HyNet cluster. Alongside this, their planned commercial-scale carbon capture plant, set to be the first of its kind in the UK, will capture CO2 at source so that it can be transferred for storage in Liverpool Bay. Protos CCS has been selected as one of the lead emitter projects in Track-1 of the industrial carbon capture programme being rolled out by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Mark Burrows-Smith, CEO of Encyclis, said: “We are pleased to become part of NZNW and support its mission to drive investment in decarbonisation in this vitally important region of the UK. To unlock the massive economic, social and environmental benefits of this mission, it’s critical that public and private organisations work together. This is an exciting time for industry in the North West and we are delighted to be part of it.”
Commenting on the organisation’s three new associate members, NZNW CEO Jane Gaston said: “We are delighted to welcome Arup, Cubico and Encyclis to NZNW and to help them support their decarbonisation goals.
“Their varied and innovative projects broaden the scope for industry collaboration even further as we seek to achieve net zero in the region, and their associate membership places them at the heart of our work. There is much for our current member base to be excited about with these three firms now part of our cluster,” she added.