Future leaders go back to Coalface for energy briefing

Monday 22 June 2009

A wide cross-section of future north east business leaders has been learning about the energy and environmental challenges facing the region through a visit to its newest surface mine development.

Delegates from the CBI North East’s Future Leaders programme paid a visit to The Banks Group’s Shotton surface mine on the Blagdon Estate in Northumberland, as part of a day-long programme designed to help them understand the Region’s energy and manufacturing issues in their present and future role in shaping the regional economy.

After beginning the day at the nearby Alcan plant at Lynemouth, the 20-strong party moved on to the Blagdon Estate to hear presentations about Banks’ work in developing new renewable energy and sustainable property schemes in the region.

They then toured the Shotton site, to see how Banks deploys a range of technologies to make the mining process as efficient as possible and to minimise its environmental impact.

The Banks Group’s environment and community director Mark Dowdall, who is participating in the Future Leaders programme himself, led the group on a tour of the 300-hectare site to witness operations for themselves.

The CBI North East’s Future Leaders programme aims to increase the region’s leadership stock through developing a forum for future business leaders to gather, exchange and share information and understanding of a wide range of sectors and subjects.

The Shotton visit follows previous themed visits to Teesside to look at innovations in the process industries, and to Nissan to look at their skills development work.

Sarah Green, Regional Director, CBI North East says: “The Future Leaders’ programme ensures that our region’s talent gets the opportunity to find out first-hand about other successful businesses within the region.

“The visit to the Banks Group’s surface coal mine amazed the group - hidden behind a screening bank was a huge, incredibly well managed, efficient and organised site providing energy to both other regional businesses and homes.

“The group then saw some restored sites which had been landscaped following surface mining and could not believe the quality of the planting and environment post development. It changed people’s perceptions of surface mining in the UK.”

Banks began operations at the Shotton site, which is near Seaton Burn, in May 2008.

The development will include the creation of a new public park based around ‘Northumberlandia’, a unique human form sculpted into the landscape by world-renowned artist and designer Charles Jencks.

Mark Dowdall adds: “Securing our future energy supply in a sustainable, economical and environmentally acceptable way will be a key challenge facing business leaders over the coming decades, but it also provides a major opportunity for employment and business growth for our region.

“This is an area which Banks has been addressing for some considerable time, and we hope that sharing some of our insight with the programme participants through this visit will prove useful to them.”

Last updated: Monday 22 June 2009, 15:56 PM