THE North-East is leading revolutionary work to turn seaweed into energy.

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is spearheading a near £3m project to create gas from the marine algae.

The work will be overseen at CPI’s base in Wilton, near Redcar, and bosses say the venture will help maintain the UK’s position as a global biotechnology leader.

Known as the SeaGas scheme, the three-year programme will look at ways of delivering power from seaweed through a process known as anaerobic digestion, which will break down the weed to create biomethane.

The body is working with partners including Newcastle University and The Crown Estate, and says it wants to help build a supply chain, create a way of storing seaweed to cover shortages, and push the algae towards other industry uses.

Steve Broome, CPI head of business and projects for anaerobic digestion, said the work was exciting, and thanked the national Industrial Biotechnology Catalyst programme, which supplied £2.78m backing.

He said: “This brings together a powerful consortium.

“For the first time ever, it joins up the expertise and facilities needed to develop and exploit the UK’s seabed as a source of sustainable biomass and renewable energy.

“The idea could have remained stuck on paper, but support from the Catalyst has made this innovative and risky project possible.”

The Catalyst was set up in January last year and is funded by Innovate UK, the Biotechnology and Biosciences Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, to support British researchers and companies.

The Crown Estate also funded an initial pilot study, which led to SeaGas, and said the project will deliver many benefits.

Professor Mike Cowling, Crown Estate chief scientist, added: “Innovate UK’s support for SeaGas is a significant vote of confidence in the planned research programme and the strength of the project consortium, led by CPI.

“It is particularly gratifying to see the pilot results have led to this exciting next stage investigation of the commercial viability of the production of biomethane from seaweeds.”

The CPI is overseeing an array of concepts and pioneering work in the North-East, which includes exploring specialist medicines that could be tailored specifically for a patient’s individual need.

The vision, known as precision medicine, would make smaller batches of drugs available at the bedside or in a portable unit, which could be taken to the source of major outbreaks, such as Ebola.

The proposals come as CPI builds the £38m National Biologics Manufacturing Centre, in Darlington.

The site will open later this year and support companies’ research and development on potentially life-saving cures and vaccines, including cancer treatment, helping experts take concepts to the market place.

Earlier this year, it revealed it was working with the North East Local Enterprise Partnership to build a site at NetPark, in Sedgefield, County Durham.