FEATURE
Upbeat message – SABIC site director Jos Visser was keynote speaker at the NEPIC Awards.
Keynote Speech SABIC’ s site director, Jos Visser, was the keynote speaker at the NEPIC Awards evening.
Speaking at the event, Jos acknowledged that the process industry across Europe is struggling due to external factors such as the widely publicised trade wars, high energy and feedstock costs. He acknowledged the support and collective voice of industry trade bodies at this turbulent time.
He said:“ The Chemical Industry Association( CIA) has made it clear in their manifesto that, as an industry, we have no time to waste. Investment for lower cost energy and feedstocks are vital for companies to survive in the coming decade.
“ Thankfully, the North-East region has unique renewable energy projects, like Dogger Bank, the world’ s largest offshore wind farm. Moreover, the Northern Endurance Partnership is enabling billions of pounds of investment in collaboration with the NEP shareholders to build carbon capture offshore facilities and, on the shoulders of that, net zero power and blue hydrogen plants.
“ For us, in the chemical industry, this is very good news. I believe our competitive advantage will come from our ability to
The North-East region is home to more than 1,400 businesses within the chemical supply chain, employing 35,000 people directly and supporting around 190,000 indirect jobs. This sector is a significant contributor to the region’ s economy, accounting for more than one third of its industrial output.
offer a differentiated product portfolio to the European markets. Although we face tough competition with imported products, the reality is we only can win in this arena by not offering the same products, but by offering innovative products with low or zero carbon content.
“ So never waste a good crisis. It will stimulate innovation and creativity and that is what is going on in this region.
“ I believe the answer is not in tariffs but right here. Our industry in the North- East is perfectly located to benefit from critical supply chains to enable low or zero carbon production. We will have the benefit of access to renewable affordable electricity and carbon export. That is where our competitive advantage can and needs to be.
“ My only hesitation is in timing. These supply chains are not yet readily available- it will take at least five to 10 years to create this benefit. The chemical industry has a solid and clear horizon to stand on its own two feet in the future, but we need access now to globally competitive energy and feedstocks. This is the support we need from the government, in these critical and uncertain times.
“ This region has a great industrial heritage. While former giants such as British Steel and ICI are gone, their heritage is still here. This is a region, where its people are proud of its industry, where local people want to see industrial plants alive and kicking, both now and in the future.”
The voice of business in the Tees region | 49