With a focus on the Greater South East, this report explores how UK industrial clusters can transition to Net Zero, with a spotlight on collaboration, innovation, and place-based approaches.
Resource
Industrial clusters are local energy clusters in defined industrial areas, industrial campuses, or business parks. Essentially, these are small to medium-sized groupings of businesses in the Greater South East area that may be interested in working together to achieve decarbonisation and other benefits.
A Hub-commissioned study by Opergy Net Zero identified more than 500 industrial clusters across the Greater South East which could be decarbonised.
‘Developing a framework for decarbonisation of local industrial clusters’ builds on the Greater South East Net Zero Hub’s findings from previous projects, which highlighted the benefits of business or sites collaborating to achieve a reduction in carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions.
In total, 551 industrial clusters were identified, with 121 of those sites estimated to emit over over 1,000 tCO2e.
Key benefits for local authority teams
- Place-based decarbonisation strategies: The report highlights how local authorities can play a central role in shaping Net Zero pathways tailored to their industrial regions.
- Collaboration models: It showcases successful partnerships between local government, industry, and academia – offering replicable frameworks for other regions.
- Policy alignment: Useful insights on aligning local plans with national Net Zero goals, including how to leverage funding and regulatory support.
- Data-driven decision-making: The report emphasises the importance of local data and scenario modelling to guide infrastructure and investment choices.
Highlights from the report
- Cluster mapping: Over 500 industrial sites mapped to identify shared decarbonisation opportunities across business parks, campuses, and industrial estates.
- Policy overview: Summarises the UK’s industrial decarbonisation strategies, and the role of technologies like hydrogen, carbon capture, and energy efficiency.
- Case studies: Highlights real-world examples – like Corby and Shoreham Port – that demonstrate successful approaches to infrastructure sharing and renewable energy integration.
- Implementation insights: Emphasises the importance of governance, regional collaboration, and innovation ecosystems in enabling scalable and replicable decarbonisation across industrial clusters.
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