Cramlington firms' deal creates huge rooftop solar power plant
Cramlington-based solar energy specialist SCJ Renewables is celebrating the completion of one of the region’s largest rooftop solar installations – on its own doorstep.
The major project, which is not visible from ground level, has seen 1,518 solar panels installed on the roof of another local firm on the town’s Nelson Industrial Estate – CMP Products.
Spanning an area roughly the size of a football pitch, the system is capable of generating enough clean energy to power around 250 homes.
Part of the British Engines Group, CMP Products is a leading global manufacturer of cable components and accessories for hazardous and industrial environments including oil and gas, renewable energy, rail, and construction.
CMP Product’s decision to invest in the large-scale solar installation was driven by its sustainability ambitions and commitment to operational resilience.
The solar installation will help the firm reduce its reliance on grid electricity, cut carbon emissions and lower long-term energy costs and any surplus green power will be automatically exported to the National Grid, creating an additional revenue stream.
Sean McIntyre, managing director of SCJ Renewables, said: “This is a significant project, not just for CMP Products but for the wider North East renewable energy sector.
“There are not many rooftop solar installations of this size in the North East using the technology on this scale.
“As part of our service, we liaised with the Northern Powergrid to secure the appropriate export approvals required for CMP Products to export electricity at this scale.”
He added: “In designing and specifying the performance and safety features of the installation we didn’t just rely on off the shelf products, but we actively collaborated, and partnered, with acknowledged industry leaders to design and manufacturing bespoke solutions for CMP.”
“CMP Products now have a solar installation that ticks every box, both from a performance and safety perspective.”
Kevin Glenn, project manager at CMP Products, said: “For a major manufacturer like CMP Products, solar power offers a practical way to reduce energy costs, improve sustainability and generate additional value from unused roof space.
“We are now able to generate around 794,000kWh of clean energy annually and expect the system to pay for itself within around four years.
“Investing in large-scale solar is an important step in our long-term sustainability strategy, and in working with SCJ Renewables we’ve been able to deliver a major solar installation with minimal disruption to our operations."