(www.bbc.com)
An IT company has joined forces with a green technology firm to develop wind turbines which attach to lamp-posts.
The NVT Group’s partnership with Own Energy Solutions is set to create 25 jobs over the next 12 months which it hopes will rise to about 300 within three years.
The scheme harvests wind using a small wind turbine and inverter system.
As a result, metered, clean energy could be fed directly into the National Grid.
The company said that as a result, each suitable lamp-post conversion would save half a ton of carbon being released into the atmosphere.
As part of the deal, which is worth about £3.5m over the next 15 years, Own Energy is relocating from Glasgow to NVT’s headquarters in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire.
Stephen Park Brown, managing director of NVT Group, said: “We have a great record of working with winning teams and this new venture has every prospect of eclipsing our recent commissions. We believe that Own Energy can become a significant player in the renewables market both in the UK and beyond.”
‘Huge export potential’
David Gordon, chief executive of Own Energy, said: “We chose to partner with NVT Group based on its extraordinary performance in recent years, particularly in the delivery of the technology for world-class sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow – which of course was widely regarded as the most successful in history – and The Ryder Cup.
“Our business is likely to scale up quickly and we know that NVT Group will be able to accommodate such growth based on its past experience. There are around 10 million lamp-posts in the UK and upwards of 20% of these are suitable for conversion which makes this a very scalable business opportunity with huge export potential.
“We have already had positive preliminary discussions with UK public and private bodies and have had indications of interest from the USA, Canada, Mexico, Ireland and South Africa. We believe this business has the potential to achieve an annual UK turnover of over £400m within five years.”
Local MSP Richard Lyle said: “This is marvellous news and I know from colleagues across the political divide that this project is really firing the imagination.
“It chimes with the policies of the major political parties in Scotland and can deliver both clean green energy as well as meaningful financial benefits for hosts such as local government and private owners alike. Bringing jobs to Bellshill is also to be welcomed.”
North Lanarkshire Council leader Jim Logue said: “I very much welcome this news. New jobs, technology and innovation are a healthy mix of ingredients which will, we hope, pay dividends for North Lanarkshire and beyond.”