Aycliffe Today Business Aycliffe Today Business Issue 43 | Page 9

The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 9 /NEWS BUSINESS BRIEFS FISH TANK OPENS A new swimming pool, cafe and business hub has opened in an effort to promote health and wellbeing. The Fish Tank family centre on Aycliffe Business Park launched in January, thanks to Aycliffe entrepreneurs Penny and Paul Gordon. County Durham energy saving work shown off to Swedes A Scandinavian delegation visited County Durham to learn about pioneering energy efficiency techniques. A team from Sweden has visited sites owned and managed by Durham County Council to see first-hand the innovative software it employs to reduce energy use, and is now promising to roll out some of what it learned back home. The local authority uses energy management software to monitor, online, usage of utilities like water, electricity and gas across its sites. This process has allowed the council to easily identify waste and save thousands of pounds in energy bills. The Energy Agency for Southeast Sweden learned of County Durham’s trailblazing use of the software after reading an online article in which it was hailed as an example of good practice. The visit was arranged through the European Union’s Interreg Europe LOCARBO project, in which the council is the UK’s sole partner. LOCARBO is a partnership programme which seeks to improve the energy efficiency of businesses in not just County Durham but Italy, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Portugal by exchanging best practice and experience. The visit saw the team from County Durham giving its Swedish visitors an overview of how it reduces energy use as well as talking through LOCARBO projects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Lena Eckerberg, development manager at the agency, said: “We chose to visit Durham and look at the energy management software which has been highlighted as a very good example.” The agency is jointly owned by all municipalities and regions in the south east of Sweden. Elias Kristmansson, from Borgholm Municipality, added: “It was interesting to find out how to communicate and visualise energy use. We will pick up a lot of the ideas introduced in Durham and introduce something similar in Borgholm.” Helen Grayshan, who manages the council’s Business Energy Efficiency Project (BEEP), said: “We’re really pleased that our work in saving energy through careful monitoring has been recognised by partners in Europe and that we were able to share our knowledge with them. We look forward to hearing about them implementing similar systems in Sweden.” Tekmar secures double award for Danish wind farm N ewton Aycliffe-based Tekmar Energy has secured contract awards from Global Marine Group and JDR Cables for the supply of its TekLink cable protection systems and cable hang-off assemblies for Danish Krieger’s Flak Offshore Wind Farm (DKF). DKF is a 600 MW wind farm under construction in the Baltic sea. Once in full production it will be Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm and increase the country’s yearly electricity production from wind by 18%, powering roughly 600,000 homes. Tekmar Energy has been selected by Global Marine Group to supply 150 patented TekLink mechanical latch cable protection systems to protect the subsea array cables as they interact with the monopile foundations from the seabed to surface. Additionally, Tekmar Energy has been chosen by JDR Cables to supply 151 patented sealed hang-off clamps to secure the cables at the top of the foundations. The firm’s managing director Russell Edmondson said: “We are pleased to be working with Global Marine Group and JDR Cables on DKF. “All three companies have bases in the North East of England, so this project is a great showcase for the UK supply chain and its leading position in the delivery and installation of subsea array cable systems”. Tekmar Energy is part of Tekmar Group plc alongside Ryder Geotechnical, AgileTek Engineering, Subsea Innovation and Pipeshield. The leisure facility is complete with office space, a function room, a cafe and hydrotherapy pool. The operation is run from a 56 sq m office alongside a coffee shop – designed to be baby friendly. INTERIM MD AT BUSINESS DURHAM Sarah Slaven is taking on the role of interim managing director at Business Durham, the economic development arm of Durham County Council, following the departure of Brian Archer. Sarah was part of the management team that established Business Durham in 2012 and held the post of operations director until taking on her current position as interim MD in January. In her previous role, Sarah had responsibility for leading Business Durham’s business engagement, inward investment and enterprise activities. TRAIN STATION PLANS Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen has announced that a bid has been submitted to Government for funding to dramatically overhaul Darlington railway station. The redevelopment of Darlington station will cost up to £100m and, at a meeting of the Darlington Station Programme Board, it was agreed that the outline business case that has been developed to support the project be sent to Government to make the project a reality. A total of £25m had previously been earmarked by the mayor and Tees Valley Combined Authority to help deliver the vision for the station, with plans for its use being put to Darlington Council for approval. AYCLIFFE TODAY BUSINESS We’re now working on issue #44 – a new- look, relaunched Aycliffe Today Business, due out in February. To get involved, call Sharon Hutchinson on 01325 728024 or email [email protected]