Delivering on his Plan for Change, the Prime Minister will use
his trip to the Gulf to drive investment into cities and regions
across the UK.
The Prime Minister is set to pursue closer ties with United Arab
Emirates and Saudi Arabia this week, some of the UK's most vital
modern-day partners, to increase investment, deepen defence and
security ties, and boost growth and new opportunities both at
home and abroad to deliver change that is felt by working people.
The North of England will reap the immediate benefits from the
closer cooperation, building on the close ties between Newcastle
and Saudi Arabia.
Manchester based GIM – Graphene Innovation Manchester will today
announce the launch of the world's first commercial production of
graphene-enriched carbon fibre, with Saudi Arabia's NEOM
Giga-Project – a groundbreaking step forward in environmentally
sustainable advanced materials.
The project aims to generate £250 million of investment into a
research and innovation hub in Greater Manchester and is expected
to create more than 1,000 skilled jobs in the region.
Prime Minister said:
“Every region and nation in the United Kingdom should feel the
impact of our Plan for Change, which is why I am in the Gulf
forging closer ties and strengthening relationships that support
our growth mission in every corner of the country.
“I am determined to ensure international diplomacy drives local
results, whether that is discussing how we can support
regeneration in the UK or supporting business deals that create
jobs – my international agenda starts at home.”
Further boosting the green-energy relationship between the UK and
Saudi Arabia, Oxford-based private equity fund HYCAP is
supporting Saudi Arabia's plans to reach net zero emissions by
2060 by investing £785 million to develop hydrogen mobility
clusters in Northern Ireland and across the UK, creating more
than 1,000 jobs.
The project will deliver hydrogen buses, trucks, critical
components and other elements of hydrogen production and
distribution, while removing more than 25 million tons of
transport-related CO2 over the lifetime of the project.
And the UK and Saudi Arabia are working together to establish a
new Joint International Institute for Clean Hydrogen.
The Institute will be backed by a consortium of Saudi and British
universities, including a leading role for Newcastle University,
and develop state of the art expertise and skills in clean
energy.
The joint research collaboration on clean energy between the UK
and Saudi Arabia will cement the North East's reputation as an
academic engineering powerhouse.
Mayor of the North East, , will join the Prime
Minister in Saudi Arabia to progress talks on further green
energy investment and opportunities between Saudi Arabia and the
North East.
A delegation from the universities is set to travel to Saudi in
the coming months to progress the project.
Energy Secretary said:
“Today's agreements show how the UK is working with countries in
the Gulf and elsewhere around the world to bring investment
and jobs to Britain.
“Clean energy can be the source of the jobs of the future and
these new investments and partnerships will deliver new jobs in
new industries, boosting our country's energy independence,
and our economic growth.
“This is the Government's Plan for Change in action, to make us a
clean energy superpower and deliver a decade of renewal.”
Earlier this month, UK cleantech leader, Carbon Clean, signed a
collaboration with Saudi-based firm Aramco to collaborate on
innovative modular carbon capture technology, aiming to create
2,000 UK jobs.
UK based Sustainable Cement Company, Next Generation SCM and
Saudi-based City Cement Company have also partnered to supply
sustainable concrete, to produce 2.5 million tonnes a year of
sustainable cement and concrete materials. The pioneering process
is expected to drive £200 million of investment over the next
five years and create more than 200 jobs in Saudi Arabia and the
UK.
Greater Manchester is also benefitting from significant Saudi
investment in housing, with International Investment Gate
injecting £41 million into the regeneration of Brunswick Mill in
Stockport, creating 277 flats and 24 commercial outlets, thereby
supporting the Prime Minister's milestone to build 1.5 million
homes by the end of this Parliament.
Following meetings in the United Arab Emirates tomorrow morning,
the Prime Minister is expected to fly to Saudi Arabia later in
the day.
Note to editors:
- The government's mission to make Britain a clean energy
superpower and comes after the government confirmed £2.3 billion
of funding for 11 electrolytic hydrogen projects selected through
the first Hydrogen Allocation Round.
- The Saudi Arabian Government has committed to investing $8.4
billion in the production of the world's largest green hydrogen
plant, and £25 billion in Research and Development by 2040.
- International Investment Gate total investment in the
regeneration of Stockport has reached £69 million, after their
successful investment in Meadow Mill in Stockport, which was
converted into 213 flats and five commercial outlets.
