"The economy of the North West of England is driven by energy; the Cheshire Energy Hub - centred around Ellesmere Port - comprises 100km2, and currently consumes around **5% of the UK's energy**. It contains some of the UK's most significant and energy intensive infrastructure.

This project represents a significant step in the development of the Cheshire Energy Hub Energy Innovation District, based around the main energy users including Ineos Chlor, Essar's Stanlow Refinery, CF Fertilisers, Encirc and URENCO, together with network operators, innovators and partners including EA Technology, Burns & McDonnell, Cadent, SP Energy Networks, Peel Environmental, Cheshire & Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, Cheshire West and Chester Council and University of Chester, with the objective of driving down the cost of clean energy for all consumers in the area.

The project will develop a concept and design for a local, smart energy system (the ""E-Port Smart Energy Master Plan""). It will show how energy use across electricity, gas, heat and transport energy vectors can be optimised to permit energy intensive industries to benefit from low-carbon, low-cost energy - improving their competitiveness in the global market while improving the lives of local people through access to the same low-cost, low-carbon energy sources, while ensuring economic security through increased post-Brexit employment opportunities in this industrial heartland.

The E-Port Smart Energy Master Plan will be based on _existing energy consumers_, _existing and planned_ _renewable energy sources_ and _existing energy network infrastructure_ wherever possible, thereby avoiding the need for significant infrastructure investment. It will bring together a diverse blend of energy consumers, from energy intensive industry to commercial and domestic users - linking their need for clean, low-cost energy with renewable energy resources, including wind, solar, biomass, energy from waste and hydrogen.

The focus for innovation will the application of emerging technology including internet-of-things devices, data analytics, measuring and monitoring technology combined with advanced digital intelligence to enable market trading platforms that will give consumers seamless access to clean, low-cost energy using the full range of energy vectors to best meet their needs.

The output of the E-Port Smart Energy Master Plan will be an optimised concept design with an associated ten-year investment plan, identifying opportunities for private sector investment and providing a nationally-replicable model for delivery of multi-vector, low-cost, low-carbon energy."