Northern Gas Networks (NGN) (www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk) recently launched the Integrated Transport Electricity Gas Research Laboratory (InTEGReL), the UK’s first fully integrated energy systems research, development and demonstration site.

Opened in Gateshead, the £30 million facility will act as an incubator for developing “whole energy system technologies”, allowing businesses to test their ideas in real-world conditions — and on a large scale.

InTEGReL will be operated in collaboration with Northern Powergrid and Newcastle University, in partnership with the EPSRC National Centre for Energy Systems Integration (CESI).

Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: “I welcome the launch, as part of our Industrial Strategy.

"The Government is working closely with partners in the energy sector to position the UK at the forefront of global efforts to develop carbon-free energy solutions; the InTEGReL project demonstrates how the private sector — working with the UK’s world-class higher education sector — can take a leading role in helping Britain reach our 2050 emission-reduction target.”

The Energy Networks Association estimates that £80 billion of private investment will be made in the UK’s energy networks by 2020.

If a whole systems approach saved just 5% of that cost, savings of around £4 billion could be passed to the customer through reduced energy bills.

The new facility will feature ‘cutting edge’ smart-grid technology, the latest research into battery storage, and will be at the forefront of hydrogen expertise — building on NGN’s industry leading H21 City Gate project, which proved that the existing gas network has the capacity to be converted to zero carbon hydrogen.

When completed, the facility will host a high-tech battery storage and research laboratory, domestic appliances and smart-system demonstration homes, as well as hydrogen and CNG refuelling stations for vehicles.

Mark Horsley, CEO of Northern Gas Networks, said: “We are delighted to open InTEGReL which we see as another step forward in our work towards a zero-carbon-energy future.

"The site will bring together the best and brightest in this field. At Northern Gas Networks we have been working on our ‘energy future’ project for a number of years, and this is a big breakthrough.

"Fully integrated energy systems that combine electricity, gas, and renewables to power heating, lighting and transport, can help to reduce the use of primary energy, cut costs and increase the reliability of our energy networks. It really is an issue of national importance and one which we take very seriously.”