POTBANKS FEELING THE HEAT #localandproud
MP highlights impact of rising energy costs on our ceramics firms in parliament
AN MP has highlighted the pressures being felt by ceramics companies – caused by huge rises in energy costs – during a debate in the House of Commons
Jack Brereton, MP for Stoke-ontrent South, below, said changes in prices had been keenly felt by energy intensive companies in the pottery industry.
He revealed that while ceramics was ‘on the cusp’ of advances in low emission energy, it was vital that focus in the short term remained on ‘price volatility’ in traditional fuel markets.
And he also suggested that hydrogen could be a future solution for the most high powered kilns after praising JCB’S cutting edge work on hydrogen combustion engines, which are the first in the world.
UK Research and Innovation has allocated £15 million to look at hydrogen powered kilns for firing ceramic products.
The city MP secured a Westminster Hall debate to outline and discuss – on a cross party basis – the risks faced by energy intensive industries.
He said: “As a whole, the energy intensive industries of steel, chemicals, paper, glass, cement & lime, industrial gases, and ceramics contribute £38 billion annually to UK GDP, according to figures from the Energy Intensive Users’ Group. “The same group notes that these industries provide 200,000 jobs directly and support a further 800,000 indirectly. “Ceramics is particularly important to the Midlands economy. Sixty per cent of direct employment in the sector is within the Midlands Engine, and most of this is concentrated in the
Staffordshire Potteries, focused on Stoke-on-trent.
“We are on the cusp of some very big advances in low-emission energy and we need to seize those opportunities without taking our eye off the ball of the shortterm dangers of price volatility in traditional fuel markets. Energy Intensive Industries are spread right across this country and they are crucial to realising the skilled jobs, good pay and levelling up agenda.”
Mr Brereton also said that it was ‘crucial’ that we see research and development (R&D) investment in energy intensive sectors, especially ceramics.
Minister for Energy, Lee Rowley MP said: “Colleagues in Stokeon-trent South and beyond have been eloquent champions for the future of the ceramics industry. We are glad to see its continued renaissance and we hope that will continue in the years ahead. It is a great British success story and we want to ensure that that continues.”
THOUSANDS of fish have been released at a popular pool – in an effort to replenish the stocks after a sharp decline in the population earlier this year.
Other changes at Fenton’s Smith’s Pool have seen the Environment Agency install floating cages in the water, which are planted with vegetation to provide food for the juvenile fish as well as a place they can shelter from predatory birds.
Fish stocks in the pool saw a sharp decline this year following a rapid increase of algae in the water which was said to have been caused by pollution.
There was also an issue with birds snatching up younger fish.
In June, The Sentinel reported how up to 20 dead fish had been removed from the popular fishing pool with the EA being called in to analyse the water quality. At the time the pool was closed off.
Other factors which affected the pool include the abrupt temperature changes in spring which meant that fish did not adequately feed before spawning.
Yesterday almost 4,000 fish – including 2,000 roach, 1,000 rudd, 750 bream,100 tench, and ‘a few Crucian carp’ – were released.
Mick Buxton and Darin Alberry, who are fisheries technical officers for the EA, oversaw the release alongside members of Stone Private Angling Club, who look after the pool.
Mick said: “The fish were hatched last April at the EA hatchery in Kelverton.
“The reason for putting them in is because we were having some algae problems where we’ve lost thousands of fish. We’ve also got a problem with fish-eating birds.
“We’ve lost a lot of fish over the years. With the floating islands in it will help the smaller fish.
“These fish will get under the islands, away from the birds.
It gives them somewhere to go where the birds won’t get them.”
The fish were transported from the EA’S hatchery in Kelverton, where they had been raised for around a year before being released while still young so they could better adapt to the change in environment.
“It’s better putting them in at this age,” said Mick.
“Most of these should survive, unless they get caught by predators.”
The fish have a life expectancy of between 20 and 30 years, depending on the species.
Now they have been released, they should start to spawn once they mature and grow into a stable population.
Nonetheless, Mick emphasised that this process will take time.
“These are going to help,” he said, “it takes years really, I would say three to five years to get it back to reasonable levels.
“We’re helping nature but nature has got to help itself.”
Mick Ellams is the club secretary for the Stone Private Angling Club which oversees day-to-day management of the pool, and welcomed the release.
“All the funding has been provided by the EA and we look after the pool,” he said.
He added that water temperature from a long winter may have contributed to the decline.
Mick said: “Normally the temperature goes up gradually, this year it went up suddenly. The fish were low on energy.”
Mick and his fellow members of the club will now oversee the day-to-day monitoring of the pool, with the EA on call if they have any concerns over the water quality in the coming months.