A happy Humber, allowing itself a brief bask in Budget headlines, hit the high notes again as renewable success was toasted in a week like no other.
Barely 24 hours after Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed major investments and freeport status for the Energy Estuary, those at the forefront of the industry were recognised for their unstinting efforts.
Forced to go digital by the ongoing pandemic, a dedicated platform was created to mirror as much of the calendar highlight the Humber Renewables Awards is as possible, and it didn’t disappoint.
Brought to you by Reach Plc, the publisher behind Business Live, television presenter Emma Jesson navigated the hour-long event admirably.
Renewable 海角视频 deputy chief executive Melanie Onn and Siemens Gamesa 海角视频 managing director Clark Macfarlane gave their take on recent policy developments - and the opportunities created - following business editor David Laister at the virtual lectern, ahead of the presentation.
From 19th century start-ups to emerging collaborations, inward investors and adopted champions, a whole host of achievements were celebrated.
First up was Green Innovation, with Gigastack taking the plaudits for the exploration of clean hydrogen as a fuel switch at Phillips 66.
Emma Toulson, last year’s Humber Renewables Champion, represented the project. She said: “We are delighted to have won this award, it is a real consortium, including Orsted, ITM Power, Phillips 66 and Element Energy, really coming together and collaborating about this fantastic renewable hydrogen opportunity. There is the potential to really decarbonise the industries around the Humber, coupling offshore wind just outside the estuary, with industry within.”
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Orsted was back taking the accolade again a moment later, with the world-leading Hornsea One offshore wind farm winning Best Renewable Energy Project.
Gordon Pope, technical project manager for the174-turbine 1.2GW project, said: “Literally thousands of people have worked on consent, construction and operations to make this possible. There was a lot of work done, some late nights at Humberside Airport, Immingham and Hull - for me and a lot of people - and it just wouldn’t have been done without the support of the Humber.
“There is Hornsea Two to come and Hornsea Three after it, and projects 10 years ago were a sixth of the size, so it is amazing how far the industry has come. We wouldn’t be able to do it ourselves, we need our suppliers and contractors as well.”
While Orsted is also a stellar act at engaging the community - as the £1 million sponsorship of the emerging Grimsby Youth Zone has demonstrated on top of the annual 10K race and East Coast Fund, the 2020 award went to HFR Solutions CIC. The specialist training provider deals in prevention, preparation, response and recovery and is linked to Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.
It supported Cleethorpes RNLI and Coastguard operations with a thermal image camera, while pivoting during the pandemic to deliver face fit testing of respiratory protection equipment to more than 300 frontline nurses and carers. Training taster days have also given insight into the importance of emergency response planning.
Nick Granger, managing director, said: “This is testament to the work we have done over the last 10 years when we have managed to invest more than £1 million into a variety of different projects from defibrillators to emergency first responders, and working with young people with taster days around the Humber renewables. That’s only been possible through the work we have done with the offshore wind industry, dating back to the early days of Centrica and E.on. There are not many providers we haven’t interacted with and we are delighted to accept the award.”
Corrine Barry was recognised for her high-energy ambassadorial role and work on STEM skill encouragement as she tirelessly links education with industry.
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The RES business development manager is also a director of Grimsby Renewables Partnership.
She said: “I’m overwhelmed, thank you everyone who nominated me. This award is for all the women represented in renewables and who are trying to aim for a career in renewables. It is a fantastic industry.”
Asked what people should do to follow her lead, the business development manager said: “Follow something you are passionate about, whatever that subject or topic is, keep going, stay passionate about it and the right opportunity, the moment will come - then grab it with both hands.”
Education was a key pillar of Marketing Humber’s The Waterline Summit, a week-long conference that highlighted the region's decarbonisation agenda - with Bank of England governor and Energy Minister participation.
Diana Taylor, managing director, said: "The young talent and next generation are so important to us, it really will be the next generation delivering and implementing a lot of the exciting and fantastic projects and opportunities we are seeing represented today.
“It was really important for us that we took the Waterline Summit to the students. We wanted to create an interactive session across so many different platforms. We provided them with some fantastic lessons. We built a new sustainability game to help them understand about the journey to Net Zero and the part they will play in it.
“All the businesses celebrated tonight, they all came, and my thanks to everybody. We have some wonderful partners - University of Hull and Yorkshire Water - and so many businesses took part and they all brought their sustainability stories and their careers to ignite a passion in the next generation.”
Clicking through the formative years and Aura, led by University of Hull won the Excellence in Renewable Skills and Training for its postgraduate work, now in a second year.
Louise Smith, director of Aura Innovation Centre, said: “This is a big encouragement to us. “We need to get more apprenticeships, and these are post-graduate apprenticeships, importantly in applied science, so students really get to work in industry.
“Joining that with the MSc in Renewable Energy and the Aura Centre for Doctoral Training - a huge accolade and a huge thing for our university and our region - some of the sponsors, Catapult, Orsted and Siemens Gamesa have played a very big part in that - and we are very proud to have this portfolio.”
Small Business of the Year went to Van Ameyde McAuslands, as it heads to a £3 million turnover with 125 years of trading under its belt.
Albert Weatherill, managing director, said: "As long as we remain an island and stay surrounded by water there is always a need for ships and shipping, and as long as the ships move goods around we will be there looking at the cargoes and vessels that engage in that traffic.
“In renewables, a few years ago I was proud to win our first contracts, and now several years later, we have seen continued growth and I’m extremely proud of the guys. It is the team, the managers and the guys, and this year - hosting this - demonstrates the difficulties we have all had for 2020 and the guys have been out working, not just in the 海角视频, but contracting in Norway, Turkey, South Africa, Kazakhstan, not missed a single day, I’m extremely proud. This has put a cherry on top of the icing that was on top of the cake."
Asked about future plans, Mr Weatherill said: “Hornsea sounds like it could have prospects, and it is a bit easier to get to than perhaps some of the places we have to travel to!”
Transport is the driving focus behind MyEnergi, named Medium/Large Business of the Year, two years on from Green Innovation success.
In five years it has gone from two to 140 staff as it innovates in microgeneration and prepares to move to a flagship headquarters.
Jordan Brompton, chief marketing officer and co-founder, said: “It is so nice to be recognised against some stiff competition. For the team, it has been such a tough year and everybody has worked so hard. I just want to thank them and my amazing partner in crime, Lee, the leadership team, the tech support, the engineers, the sales, marketing and production, everyone just grafts, and I can't wait to celebrate with them in person.
“A big thank you to the whole of the Humber area, for continuing to innovate, create and inspire what renewable energy means to us today. It has been a tough year, but onwards and upwards, watch this space!”
The final accolade of the evening, Humber Renewables Champion, was bestowed upon Ben George.
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Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult's general manager in the Humber said he was "honoured, humbled and inspired to do more" by the accolade as he leads the establishment of the £35m Centre of Excellence for Operations and Maintenance in Grimsby, having played a key role in the launch of Aura Innovation Centre with the University of Hull previously.
Andy Sykes, Siemens Gamesa’s plant manager in Hull, read the judges’ citation, describing a “true champion of Humber renewables as someone who takes the whole region with them on the journey”.
Praising his role in “raising the profile of the University of Hull with the green agenda” he said of the latest development on the South Bank: “This facility at the heart of the world’s largest concentration of such activity brings huge opportunity, funds and focus to the first port on the Humber - and the first venture into offshore wind for the region.”
Next up are Hull Business Awards and , with tickets available now.
The Hull event, brought to you by the same team as the Humber Renewables Awards, takes place next week, with the South Bank event from Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce on April 22.