A new £4.27m business hub is due to be officially unveiled in Lowestoft in the next few weeks, while Associated British Ports’ £35m development of the Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF) is also set to be fully operational this month.
It comes just a fortnight after 100 jobs were confirmed with a new £8m operations and maintenance base for green energy company ScottishPower Renewables that expands its presence in Lowestoft – as it further reinvigorates the PowerPark energy hub around the port.
These are just some of the major schemes progressing in and around the PowerPark industrial zone in Lowestoft – as a council vision continues to thrive.
In September 2020, East Suffolk Council unveiled an “ambitious” vision for PowerPark to “create a cluster of energy related businesses which build upon the success of existing businesses and activities in the area.”
It said: “The PowerPark will be full of life – a driving force for the local economy, it will be a catalyst to boost employment and high skilled roles within the local area.”
Now, four years on and with some of the major schemes progressing in and around the PowerPark industrial zone in Lowestoft, the council’s “ambitious” vision is flourishing.
It will see 16 new business units being delivered in the heart of PowerPark for the £4.27m The Nexus project – with the development supporting more than 55 full-time equivalent jobs across a mix of office and light industrial uses.
With “lots of interest” already shown in the units, a council spokesman said: “There is ongoing positive discussion with potential occupiers in advance of the official opening date, which is to be confirmed in the next few weeks.”
After ScottishPower Renewables confirmed Lowestoft “as the long-term home and heart of its UK offshore wind operations” with the acquisition of a new site in the town’s PowerPark, it will eventually create 100 new jobs at the site measuring just over 1.1 acres on Trinity Road, which is currently occupied by RJ Pryce.
It complements the company’s operations and maintenance base for the East Anglia ONE offshore windfarm, located on land owned by Associated British Ports on Hamilton Road, which continues to operate on its existing 30-year lease.
East Suffolk Council has been working in partnership with ScottishPower Renewables and RJ Pryce – which includes the agreed sale of 5/6 Newcombe Road, which was owned by the council, to R J Pryce – thus supporting the continued sustainability of the family run business that has been established in Lowestoft for more than 125 years.
Cllr Tim Wilson, East Suffolk council’s cabinet member for economic development, said: “We have been pleased to support ScottishPower Renewables and RJ Pryce through this development, which will increase investment and secure jobs for the town.
“We are really pleased with the progress that is being made across different locations in Lowestoft and the wider district – providing employment and a blueprint for more sustainable energy practices.”
With the £35m Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF) fully opening this October, it will support both operations and maintenance activities and the construction of hundreds of new offshore wind turbines in the North Sea.
Recently Thrive Renewables refurbished the Gulliver wind turbine and as the council “is continuing to invest in PowerPark” – which covers 24.7ha of land in Lowestoft – the £9.4m clean energy innovation and business incubation hub, OrbisEnergy, now has more than 40 businesses currently based at the centre.
Since opening in 2008, OrbisEnergy has provided a vital ‘landing pad’ for many businesses, which have, in turn, employed hundreds of local people.
Owned by Suffolk County Council with day to day building management provided by Vertas, OrbisEnergy continues to thrive – with the landmark building continuing to enjoy high levels of occupancy.
