Seaham news
Helen joy at national recognition
Solar power innovator Power Roll moves to Seaham
Power Roll has created a first of its kind solar film manufacturing facility at a County Durham business park as part of its expansion plans .
The company , which had been Washington-based , has moved its manufacturing and head office to the new unit at Jade Business Park between Murton and Seaham .
Power Roll has developed an ultra-lowcost and lightweight flexible solar film for energy generation , which can be installed in places that are unsuitable for traditional silicon panels , such as non-loadbearing rooftops , off-grid applications , providing portable power and many other uses .
According to the International Energy Agency , to achieve net-zero by 2050 , globally , we need to deploy four times as much solar as we have today . This additional capacity
needs to be installed before 2030 .
Power Roll ’ s solar film will help enable businesses and governments to meet this need , alongside a mix of other technologies . Power Roll received an initial £ 250,000 investment from Durham County Council ’ s Finance Durham Fund .
The County Durham Growth Fund also provided a grant of £ 120,000 and as a result of the overall investment 31 highly-skilled jobs are being created .
Power Roll chief executive Neil Spann said : “ The new solar film pilot manufacturing plant is a significant milestone for us as we transition to the next phase of our journey to scale our business .
“ Establishing a cleantech business on the site of a former colliery symbolises the green energy transition that Power Roll is set to play a major part in .”
Seaham ’ s Helen Golightly ( pictured ) has been awarded the OBE for services to business and the economy in the region .
Helen , chief executive of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership ( North East LEP ), has helped deliver the organisation ’ s Strategic Economic Plan , credited with delivering over 71,000 jobs since 2014 .
Helen has been instrumental in securing over £ 2bn investment for the region , resulting in the delivery of 140 capital and 40 revenue projects securing 20,000 more jobs .
The coronavirus pandemic has seen Helen play a leading role in the region ’ s response , bringing together the public , private , education and voluntary sectors to form the North East Covid-19 Economic Response Group .
A heartening response
£ 6m orders for modular house building factory
Redevelopment drive in heart of Seaham
The production of steel-framed modular homes is now under way at Jade Business Park , Murton , near Seaham .
The work is being carried out by CoreHaus in a 20,000 sq ft unit which will see around 1,000 modular homes built a year , resulting in more than 300 people working across the business .
The homes will be built using modern methods of construction ( MMC ), meaning high-quality homes , built faster , with engineered precision and expected lower energy bills .
Since moving into its first UK manufacturing facility in County Durham , CoreHaus has been recruiting while also securing new commercial contracts and the order book already stands at around £ 6m .
The end of the pause in construction work , caused by the lockdown was the catalyst for the start of a new mixed-use development at North Terrace this summer .
The project will create new residential , commercial , leisure and hospitality space at the coastal site in the town .
Supported by Durham County Council , the project will see the creation of office space , restaurant , café and bar units , indoorbowling lanes and residential apartments in a three-storey building .
Planning permission for the development was originally granted in 2017 but the Covid-19 health crisis delayed the progress of the project .
A Seaham company has taken health and safety for its workers to heart with installation of a new defibrillator in its workplace .
IPS Flow Systems , based on the Seaham Grange industrial estate , has recognised the value of the machine on a person ’ s survival prospects with a victim ’ s chance of survival falling around seven to 10 per cent with every minute that defibrillation is delayed .
IPS Flow Systems has expanded its emergency first aid at work team from two to four and Karen Angus and Michael Potter , who are also Mental Health First Aid Champions , recently completed a three-day first aid at work course with St John ’ s Ambulance .
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