The Grimsby Institute has officially launched the Elite Centre, a sustainable energy engineering hub developed in collaboration with the Greater Lincolnshire LEP and supported by the Midlands Engine.

The facility will bring a cutting-edge curriculum specialising in low-carbon learning to the region, including 12 brand new training courses, offering students the opportunity to train as engineers for a greener future.

The project benefited from £1.4m of funding from the LEP which has helped to transform the existing facility into a dedicated low-carbon, engineering, and ports and logistics space. The state-of-the-art, green-focused hub will offer training on automation, electric vehicle technology and carbon reduction.

Guests from across industry attended the opening event.

Pat Doody, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “I’m delighted to be here at the opening of this flagship facility, which brings another level of specialism to the Grimsby Institute.

“The Greater Lincolnshire LEP is proud to have been leading on economic growth with our partners in local government for the last 11 years, and we work with our fantastic education and training providers to help them meet the needs of local businesses and create the workforce of the future.

“We supported the development of the Elite Centre with £1.4m of LEP funding, and it’s a great pleasure to see the centre finished and ready to grow the next generation of green engineers and professionals.”

Former Grimsby Institute Engineering student Lee Sutton (pictured), now CEO of myenergi, officiated at the event with a ribbon cutting. Declaring the facility officially open, he said: “I was an engineering student at the Grimsby Institute, and coming back today to officially open the Elite Centre is fantastic. It is so important to train people with the skills we need for this electrical revolution.

“We are going to see many more electric vehicles on the road in the future, and we are now seeing three more times solar-powered systems than we saw a year ago. There's rapid growth in this sector and we need so many more trained people in this industry.

“As a big employer in the region myenergi is proud to be able to offer quality jobs in the sector. It's great to see facilities like this opening today and students training for a career in renewable energy.”