PM Gordon Brown Visits Energy Innovation Centre
06 November 2009
The Prime Minister Gordon Brown met innovators developing the next generation of energy technologies during a special visit to Cheshire on Thursday 5th November.
Video of Gordon Brown's visit on the Prime Minister's official website.
Mr Brown toured the world-renowned EA Technology and newly established Energy Innovation Centre, at Capenhurst, Chester, where he witnessed at first hand the cutting-edge technologies being developed for wide scale use within the global energy market.
The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Treasury Minister Liam Byrne, saw a series of product demonstrations, starting with the award-winning UltraTEV range of instruments, which detect hidden faults in electrical plant, developed by EA Technology and sold around the world.
Mr Brown heard how the UltraTEV monitor forms an essential Smart Grid component, able to monitor the performance of the grid as well as preventing faults. He also heard about a revolutionary carbon-reduction energy saving scheme designed to meet peak requirements in the Electricity Grid from the team at Flexible Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of EA Technology Ventures, before learning more about the consumer friendly in-home energy management and payment device created by fast-growing company Secure Electrans, which will soon be rolled out to British Gas customers.
Praising the new technologies being developed in Cheshire, The Prime Minister said: “It is so inspiring to see all of the innovative products being developed by the teams at EA Technology and the companies based at the Energy Innovation Centre in Capenhurst and to hear about the benefits these technologies can bring to the energy industry, in particular their contribution to tackling climate change.”
Mr Brown later sat down for a round table discussion with more than a dozen Northwest business leaders and leading energy figures where they discussed the economy and employment.
Robert Davis, CEO of EA Technology, said: “We were absolutely delighted to welcome the Prime Minister to EA Technology and the Energy Innovation Centre. EA Technology is a success story we should all be celebrating. We’re growing fast, creating dozens of jobs and selling our technologies around the world. We are leading the world in energy related technologies here at Capenhurst, technologies that keep the lights on today and will also run the smart grids of tomorrow.”
Denise Massey, Director of the Energy Innovation Centre, said: “We were thrilled to welcome Gordon Brown to the centre today and to share with him our vision to roll out Innovation Centres across the country.
The Prime Minister left encouraged by our work in assisting small businesses to develop the next generation of energy products. The Centre, which is supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, only opened 18 months ago and is already at capacity, with expansion plans underway.”
