23 July 2021
Press release: Battery storage and power infrastructure specialist, Pivot Power, has been announced as a first-place winner in a competition to find Oxfordshire’s most impactful green energy projects. The company scooped one of the two top spots for its Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO) project, which aims to save 10,000 tonnes of CO2 per year once fully operational, in the Built Environment & Communities category of the new Energy Pathfinders: 2050 (EP:50) competition run by Oxfordshire Greentech and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP).
Competition entries were judged by leaders from industry, academia, and the public sector, against the three core principles of the Oxfordshire Energy Strategy. The ESO impressed the judges with its integrated approach to decarbonising power, transport, and heat to accelerate Oxford’s zero carbon journey.
The project’s social and economic potential scored further points with the judges; alongside addressing issues such as fuel poverty and access to charging points, the ESO will support the critical development of skills needed across the region to install and maintain future technologies in the long-term.
Tim Rose, Programme Manager for ESO at Pivot Power added: “Pivot Power is working hand in hand with Oxford City Council and the local community to deliver Energy Superhub Oxford, one of the world’s most ambitious urban decarbonisation projects, and to win this award for our impact, innovation, and potential confirms that we are on the right track. It is fantastic to see that key stakeholders from across the county are taking such a positive and proactive interest in making a net-zero Oxfordshire a reality.”
Ahmed Goga, Director of Strategy and Programmes at the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnerships said: “The fact that the panel was able to select two projects that met the high expectations set by our first tranche winner speaks volumes about the quality of the submissions in this category. Both projects are very different, but equally compelling exemplars of the ambitious principles outlined in the Oxfordshire Energy Strategy.
The projects also go a long way in addressing some of the key challenges set out in the Pathways to a Zero Carbon Oxfordshire report, published last month, shining a light on Oxfordshire’s world-leading innovation ecosystem – a critical message to communicate ahead of this autumn’s COP26 event in Glasgow.”
Lewis Knight, EP:50’s Deputy Chair and Strategic Director at Oxfordshire Greentech, said: “We were impressed by the extent to which both winners demonstrated outstanding environmental, social, and economic impact, alongside significant potential to improve the long-term availability of sustainable transport and infrastructure within the county and beyond.
“Both winning entries are proud members of the growing Oxfordshire Greentech network, highlighting the strength of Oxfordshire’s clean, green sector and acting as a zero-carbon pioneer for the UK.”
The EP:50 competition continues for a final round with Category 3: Energy Efficiency & Demand Reduction opening for entries today. Those wishing to enter into this category can do so here: https://www.oxfordshirelep.com/ep50
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) champions Oxfordshire’s economic potential, acting as a catalyst and convener to drive a dynamic and growing economy. Its vision is for Oxfordshire being ‘a vibrant, sustainable, inclusive, world- leading economy – driven by innovation, enterprise and research excellence’.
Since 2011, OxLEP has secured around £660mworth of central government and European funds for the Oxfordshire economy, supporting the creation of around 48,000 new jobs between 2012 and 2018 – representing over 50% of a 2031 target of 85,600 new jobs for the county. In total OxLEP oversees a £2.2bn growth programme for Oxfordshire.
Oxfordshire Greentech is a business network that encourages innovation and collaboration, and promotes Oxfordshire as a centre for low-carbon solutions. It is a member-led organisation run by sustainability charity Bioregional with support from Cambridge Cleantech.