Energy Sector Profile
The Furness area is one of the north west of England's Energy hubs. It has companies involved in power generation, systems integration and energy efficienct technologies:
- Natural gas processing
- Electricity power generation
- Nuclear power engineering
- Nuclear submarine propulsion plant
- Offshore oil and gas
- Renewable energy
- Provision of systems integration and support services for these activities.
- Solid state lighting
Energy generation takes place from:
- 4 onshore wind farms
- 3 planned offshore wind farms Shell Renewables, Dong, Eclipse Energy
- A 220 MW gas fired power station, Roosecote operated by Centrica Energy
- 3 onshore gas processing terminals, Rampside operated by Centrica Energy
- 3 offshore gas pipelines linked to east Irish Sea gasfields
- 1 hydropower station at Backbarrow and one at Coniston
- Waste gas power generators at waste tips at Walney Island and in Dalton at Bennet Bank
"Nowhere within the UK is there a more strategically important area than the West Coast of England, and in particular for energy generation, the Furness peninsula and its offshore coastline west of Barrow -in-Furness. Barrow has the largest and most complex gas processing facility in the UK with capacity to harvest any natural gas yet undiscovered in and around the East Irish Sea as well as complete the depletion of existing gas fields.
In addition LNG import or offshore gas storage projects could be developed in line with the Governments white paper on investing in additional natural gas storage. Combined with fossil fuel production is a unique coastline known to be highly suitable for capturing wind energy from offshore turbines and tidal conditions highly suitable to harness power from tide and wave technology. Onshore power generation from both nuclear, Heysham station and several fossil fuel power stations is a well established industry along with a huge body of expertise to support the increasing diverse energy sector.
The town of Barrow and others in and around Cumbria are renowned for producing the high calibre of engineering skills so complimentary to the energy sector, particularly the nuclear industry. Furness Enterprise in collaboration with Furness College has a proven track record of training and placing engineering skills within the existing industries all of which have shown to have an appetite to adapt and grow within new and existing markets. To ensure the continued economic growth of the area the continued focus on Furness as the Energy Hub is vital to the long term social and economic stability of Cumbria...."
The Energy Resources in Furness
The coastal Furness area of NW England experiences strong winds, a 10metre tidal range, has extensive natural gas reserves present in the East Irish Sea, and processed gas onshore at Rampside near Barrow where there is also a 229MW power station (gas fired). Hydro-electric power generation occurs at Haverthwaite and Coniston. Onshore and offshore wind power electricity generation occurs at sites including Millom, Askam, Ulverston and offshore Walney Island. Three further offshore windfarms are planned. The “Energy Hub” in Furness embraces the following energy resources:
- Nuclear Power Generation – design, development, test, commissioning of nuclear reactors at BAESYSTEMS.
- Electricity generation – gas fired Roosecote 229MW power station.
- Electricity generation – onshore wind farms at Kirkby, Millom, Harlock , Ireleth, BAE SYSTEMS, Tesco Barrow.
- Electricity generation – East Irish Sea offshore wind farms at Barrow, and 3 more planned by Eclipse Energy, Dong and Scottish Power.
- Electricity generation – hydro-electric power at Haverthwaite and Coniston.
- Offshore gas fields and subsea gas storage at the Morecambe Bay and Rivers complex and associated onshore processing and gas injectiondelivered through Centrica Energy and Stag Energy.
- There are also local several firms involved in nuclear decommissioning at Sellafield and other sites in UK.
- Between 300 and 500 people from Furness commute daily to work at Sellafield.Over 70 companies and research organisations also supply the global energy industry including nuclear decommissioning.
Furness and South Cumbrian designed/manufactured products for the energy sector are in use throughout the UK and are exported to all the main energy provinces of the world, examples include:
Barrow has at the Rampside Energy Park, an internationally recognised 'centre of excellence in gas processing' operated by a Centrica subsidiary. There are 3 contiguous onshore terminal sites; North Morecambe; South Morecambe and Rivers, which process up to 15% of Britain's gas supplies. The gas comes from Centrica Energy owned gas fields in the East Irish Sea,from the Millom, Dalton and Rivers fields. Gas storage beneath the sea bed is proposed by both Cenrtrica Energy and Stag Energy.
The land west of the A5087 between Barrow and Rampside village in the ownership of Centrica Energy is allocated for use by large energy users and related industries for energy generation including gas processing.
If you are interested in developing an energy business in Furness we have a total business support package for you.
A new custom-built site will consolidate Expro’s Connectors Measurements operations in Ulverston, UK
