Partnership for Renewables

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Published: 02 October 2006

Partnership for Renewables

Environment Secretary David Miliband has announced that a scheme to boost the use of renewable energy will receive a £10 million investment from the Government.

The new venture, Partnership for Renewables (PfR), will partner with private sector organisations to develop onsite renewable energy projects with local authorities, hospitals, and other public sector bodies.

The programme, which is run by the Carbon Trust, plans to have 500MW of renewable energy projects, primarily 3-5MW wind turbine projects, constructed or under development within the next five years by leveraging private sector investment of up to half a billion pounds.

The government support will pave the way for PfR to catalyse the expansion of the public sector renewables market by supporting early stage project development and managing project work.

Mr Miliband said:

"500 megawatts of renewable energy is enough to serve the houses of Exeter, Oxford and Norwich and Newcastle combined - that's the equivalent of 250,000 houses at zero carbon cost to the environment.

(But doesn’t the government house building policy call for an additional 200,000+ houses to be built in the South of England alone?).

The Carbon Trust has shown how plans for renewable installations, mainly wind power, on the land of local authorities and hospitals can be held back because public and private investment are not working together.

Our investment of £10 million has the potential to unlock up to half a billion pounds in private investment, produce 500 megawatts of renewable electricity for public sector organisations to use themselves or to deliver to homes and businesses around the country."

Tom Delay, Chief Executive of Carbon Trust said:

"The Carbon Trust is delighted the Government is supporting the establishment of Partnerships for Renewables through this funding announcement today.

Our aim is to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy and PfR is an important step towards that goal.

The PfR company will open up and fast track the development of a new market for renewable power and will be further proof that there are business solutions to climate change.

Our plans for PfR are ambitious; in five years by working with local authorities and other public sector bodies we aim to have up to 500MW of new renewable projects built or under development.

Once built, these projects will be providing power equivalent to the needs of a quarter of a million homes."

The funding should also help the public sector take advantage of the additional £50m capital grant funding for DTI's Low Carbon Buildings Programme by helping the public sector organisations assess how their needs can be met from renewable energy sources and making applications for funding accordingly.

The Carbon Trust's plans are intended to increase existing wind generation capacity by 25% and act as a catalyst for the private sector to invest in their own on-site renewable projects.

By potentially saving 175,000 - 190,000 tonnes of carbon each year, it will also help address the threat of climate change and contribute towards the Government's goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2050.

PfR has been working with 30 public sector bodies during the last 12 months to test and prove its proposals, and will begin the development of 10 lead projects over the next year, including Sheffield City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council:

· The £10 million funding announced to help fund the "Partnerships for Renewables" scheme will be divided equally across 2007/08 and 2008/09

· It forms part of the £20 million over two years announced in the 2006 Budget to help local authorities and others work in partnership with energy companies

Further information:

Partnership for Renewables (PfR)

DTI's Low Carbon Buildings Programme

The Carbon Trust

DTI Sustainable Technologies website

Energy Efficiency: The Government's Plan for Action

Strategic Framework, One future - different paths

Sustainable Development Commission

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