Green project joint venture could create up to 100 jobs

The jobs are expected to be created as a result of a joint venture (JV) between Rotherham-based Newburgh Engineering and Leeds-based Firechill.

The JV, named Firechill Manufacturing, is the result of a Yorkshire Forward initiative to bring more manufacturing operations into Yorkshire.

The Sheffield office of national law firm Nabarro advised the JV in securing the US-developed Cooltec heat-activated technology, which Firechill Manufacturing will manufacture and market worldwide.

Newburgh Engineering will make the units at its Rotherham site, while global distribution, recruitment and marketing work will be carried out by Firechill.

Vincent Middleton, the managing director of Newburgh Engineering, said the systems would be aimed at the non-domestic market, adding: "It's a fantastic idea – to take waste heat and generate cooling.

"It is now up to all the Firechill team to deliver a world-beating green product.

"The market is there, we have just got to get production ramped up."

He said Newburgh was "sitting very well", with its financial performance exceeding pre-recession levels.

Newburgh, which has a turnover of 10m and 110 staff, plans to hire more skilled workers soon.

Mr Middleton said the project had been inspired by Yorkshire Forward's Virtual Enterprise Network (VEN), which had helped companies to pool resources to bid for bigger contracts.

Nabarro partner Andrea Cropley said: "Firechill Manufacturing is set to offer a new, commercial green product manufactured in our region for export to a worldwide market.

"This is an excellent example of private sector growth in our local economy following assistance from a public sector initiative.

"The creation of the new jobs will depend on the success of the product in the coming years, but early estimates of up to 100 new jobs is not over-optimistic."

Last year, Newburgh helped to develop the wheel design for a supercar that is capable of achieving a top speed of 1,000mph.

Newburgh manufactured a rig that was used to test the effect of the keel on the wheel and the ground for the Bloodhound SSC supercar.

Newburgh is also hoping to capitalise on the increasing demand for pelleting machines in the biomass, waste and recycling sectors.

Earlier this year, Newburgh established a separate company, called Sizer, which will manufacture its own pelleting machines under the Orbit brand, which originated in Hull in the 1920s.