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Japanese R&D takes place in North East

A Japanese manufacturing firm has officially begun a new phase of research and development in the North East of England. Yanmar, which manufactures micro combined heat and power systems, are partnering with the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) to carry out the research.

Hiroshi Kanda, Managing Director of Yanmar, was joined by representatives from One NorthEast and Newcastle University, at the official opening ceremony this week at Newcastle University’s Centre for Renewable Energy from Land (CREEL) at Cockle Park Farm, Northumberland.

A new 9.9kW bio-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) system is now in operation at Cockle Park, with a further 25kW system due to be installed at the centre later in the year. These two systems will be developed in parallel with the existing bio-fuelled CHP system currently in operation at NaREC’s High Voltage Laboratory in Hebburn.

The collaborative R&D partnership with NaREC and Newcastle University is enabling Yanmar to investigate the economic and ecological viability of introducing their technology to the European market and preparing it for entry once the research and development programme is completed in 2011.

Makoto Yasuda from the Environmental Business Development Department at Yanmar said: “Micro-CHP has the potential to be an influential technology that decreases carbon dioxide emissions through increased energy efficiency in households and small businesses.”

Paul Mclean, Bioenergy Advisor at NaREC said: “This flourishing partnership bringing together both academic and industrial representatives from the region, with such advanced technology developers from Japan is signalling a new era for energy in the North East, with our heritage, expertise and experience demonstrating that we have much to offer the evolving energy industry.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .