Blackpool Airport is now owned by Blackpool Council, which heralds a positive new dawn for the airport ensuring that it will continue to operate as an important hub that will benefit the whole region. With substantial new operational infrastructure investment planned . The airport will play a key role in making the Enterprise Zone one of the most successful in the country. Regeneration plans can provide new commercial hangar space at the airport, which operates at up to CAT6 while the runway can operate aircraft of up to Boeing 737 and Airbus A321, providing opportunities for aerospace companies taking commercial space nearby. www.blackpoolairport.com
The Enterprise Zone’s proximity to the North West’s Energy Coast has meant it is home to the flagship development Lancashire Energy HQ, a new £9.8m purpose-built facility, equipped with industry-standard resources and staffed by experts to drive excellence in energy training standards. Developed by Blackpool and the Fylde College and funded by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, Lancashire Energy HQ is training the next generation of skilled and trained engineers and technicians required for renewable energy skills as well as traditional nuclear , oil and gas. lancashireenergyhq.blackpool.ac.uk
The Lancashire Energy HQ includes the sector’s largest nuclear and renewables simulator and together with supply chain companies, including Westinghouse Springfields Nuclear Fuels, Lancashire is at the forefront of the renewable energy sector . Proposals for offshore wind farms and on site solar energy battery storage and district heating technologies could all converge on the Enterprise Zone in coming years and Lancashire Energy HQ is developing a local skills base to service and maintain the energy of the future.
Blackpool Enterprise Zone has plans to become the home of ethically powered data. Silicon Sands will offer commercial property with access to high data centres, powered by renewable energy, liquid immersion cooled and a district heat network.
Photo courtesy of Green Revolution Cooling / CC BY
