CR Plus were a partner in the part funded UK Research and Innovation, ‘Repoweringthe Black Country’ Project to develop plans for decarbonising the Black Country Industrial Cluster by 2040.

Through this project a framework was formulated to support Black Country businesses through the net zero transition and to take advantage of global clean growth opportunities as well as securing significant commercial funding and investment to support clean industrial growth within the region.

Within the Repowering the Black Country project, CR Plus expanded on its Clean Growth Hubs (CGHs) framework approach, branded for the Black Country project as ‘Zero Carbon Hubs’. We were tasked to create options for achieving Clean Growth Hubs around specific sites; designing insymbiotic energy/material opportunities where possible. We collaborated with manufacturing sites to develop 6 hub ideas utilising a vast range of technologies including waste heat recovery, hydrogen, electrification and energy storage.

Each hub had an individual master plan outlining the technical qualities, risks & opportunities of the design and estimated costs with a model which built outwards; from site-specific projects to wider hub investments.

www.zerocarbonhubs.co.uk/zero-carbon-hubs.html

One of the objectives CR Plus supported in delivery was the formation of an ‘entity’. CR Plus sponsored and supported the setup of the not-for-profit Black Country Industrial Cluster Ltd and continue to be an active board member and service provider. The entity will continue to expand on the successes from the Repowering the Black Country project.

Find out more at: www.bcinc.org.uk

"CR Plus were one of the key partners in this project and their input was fundamental in turning our zero carbon hub concept into deliverable technical realities." 

~ Matthew Rhodes, Director at Black Country Industrial Cluster

South Wales is the second biggest industrial and power emitter of carbon in the UK, with over 16m tonnes of CO2e per annum, but around 90% of those emissions are produced by 3 companies (all play a leading role in SWIC). The Cluster Plan was about more than just decarbonisation it had to provide a structure that will enable South Wales' Large, Medium & Small businesses compete in the evolving Net Zero landscape.

Together with Dr. Chris Williams (seconded to Industry Wales) CR Plus both constructed the Cluster Plan bid document to gain UKRI partial funding support, helped 30+ Partners sign up to the project, devising the Work Streams that were uniquely collaborative with typically 5 or more participating partners involved, re-enforcing the collaborative nature of SWIC.

Our 5 steps & cross-cutting themes developed into the Cogs & Roots framework  (as shown to the right).  This allows us to frame all activities or projects in terms of combinations of Cogs and Roots to quickly attain the optimum landing space.

This approach can be applied to "Dispersed" sites and CR Plus have now taken this methodology forward in other Clusters developed or emerging around the UK.

"CR Plus were essential in helping bring together such a wide and diverse cluster, collaborating to develop practical solutions for our industries to act now in addition to leaving doors open for future options" ~ Dr. Chris Williams, Head of Industrial Decarbonisation at Industry Wales

The CGH’s purpose was to provide technology demonstrators and decarbonisation fuels in order to kick-start the regions decarbonisation journey. As a green-field site we had the opportunity to promote and develop the key industries that would be required to decarbonise the surrounding businesses in the hub.

Extensive data collection revealed that alternative fuels to natural gas were going to be the number one requirement to decarbonise the 800 businesses in the port area, to replace natural gas process emissions, and scope 1 transport emissions. 

CR Plus therefore sourced (in conjunction with Bristol City Council Economic Development Staff) businesses that could provide hydrogen production facilities, for development on the hub. 

In addition to this work – CR Plus introduced the concept of Deep-Dive Decarbonisation Surveys to the cluster. High emitting industrial sites were selected to receive comprehensive decarbonisation surveys from CR Plus staff – leading to significant energy savings, and clarity on decarbonisation routes for the businesses surveyed. The data was used to refine the overall emissions model for the region.