Sue Robb of 4Children talks to Julie Laughton and Alison Britton from the Department for Education about the role of childminders in delivering the 30 hours free entitlement.
Centrica installs battery storage scheme
Centrica’s Distributed Energy and Power business has announced the installation of one of the country’s largest commercial battery storage schemes for Gateshead Council.
The project has been designed to store or release energy for the Gateshead District Energy Centre which opened earlier this year, and will be capable of responding to any fluctuations in demand in under a second.
With a total capacity of 3MW, the state-of-the-art battery scheme is made up of six units that hold the equivalent of one million AA battery cells. It is capable of storing enough power to meet the needs of 3,000 homes for one hour.
Centrica will manage the project under a 10 year contract, providing various flexibility services for the grid to help keep the national electricity network in balance. It will also be used to help meet peaks in local demand, providing electricity through a private wire to council-owned buildings and well-known Tyneside buildings including Gateshead College and the Sage Gateshead concert venue.
The battery storage scheme builds on a long-term energy partnership between Gateshead Council and Centrica who have installed 2MW of solar panels on 34 public buildings in the town.
Alan Barlow, UK & Ireland director for Centrica Distributed Energy and Power, said: “The Gateshead Energy Centre is a ground-breaking scheme and an impressive demonstration of how distributed energy solutions can generate cost savings, strengthen resilience, by bringing together battery storage and other energy technologies.”
John McElroy, Gateshead Council’s cabinet member for Environment and Transport, said: “This battery installation completes the wider District Energy Scheme, which will provide low cost heat and power to homes, organisations and businesses in central Gateshead.
“It’s a bold, imaginative scheme that means we can also store and release power when we choose, as well as supporting the National Grid, which helps raise more income to support council services."
Latest News
26/04/2024 - 12:12
New planning powers come into effect today giving local councils more tools to hold rogue developers to account as part of the government’s Levelling-up and Regeneration Act.
26/04/2024 - 11:13
Sport England has published a report which reveals a long-term increase in activity levels among adults, but also highlights further action is need
25/04/2024 - 12:28
The Welsh government will work with councils to set out a three-phase plan to implement a 20mph limit.
25/04/2024 - 11:56
£11 million of grant funding has been confirmed for public sector bodies in Scotland.
25/04/2024 - 10:32
The Labour Party has announced that it would renationalise most passenger rail services within five years.
Company Focus
Located in Bromley, Japanese Knotweed Eradication Ltd has been providing solutions in the treatment and removal of Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia Japonica) for over a decade. During this time we have mastered a repertoire of methods, from herbicidal treatments to landscaping solutions, tailored to address the unique challenges our clients face with this pervasive weed.
Event Diary
UKREiiF has quickly become a must-attend in the industry calendar for Government departments and local authorities.
The multi-award-winning UK Construction Week (UKCW), is the UK’s biggest trade event for the built environment that connects the whole supply chain to be the catalyst for growth and positive change in the industry.
Supplier Profiles
At GeoEnergy Design, we're on a mission to disrupt the traditional way heating and cooling ha
Latest Features
Professor Harith Alani, director of the Knowledge Management Institute at the Open University explains how AI can be used for good and bad.
Alex Lawrence, head of health & social care, techUK sets out techUK’s Five Point Plan for CareTech.
