A NEW renewable energy company in County Durham is looking to expand and create jobs on the back of a series of contract wins.

Access Renewables was set up earlier this year to tap into the growing market for renewable products and services, such as solar panels and wind turbines.

As attention increasingly turns towards greener and more environmentally-friendly sources of power, Access Renewables, based in Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, has secured a number of contracts and distribution agreements.

As a result, the company, which provides systems to educational, commercial and domestic clients throughout the UK, predicts it will create about ten jobs in the next 12 to 18 months. The jobs are expected to be within its highlyskilled specialist installation teams, which work on creating and installing systems which reduce carbon dioxide, such as wind turbines, ground and air-source heat pumps, and rainwater harvesting systems.

Access Renewables, set up by Karen Jones and Sean Collier, who have a background in the renewable energy sector, has also managed to secure funding and expertise from the North-East England Investment Centre, which is predicted to accelerate the growth of the company.

Ms Jones, managing director of the company, based on Coundon Industrial Estate, said: “The North-East is an ideal location to start and grow a business due to its excellent support facilities, and even more so that it’s regarded as the worldwide expertise centre for renewable energy technologies. We are looking forward to expanding our business using these excellent resources.”

Despite only being in business for a limited time, the company said it had already found a huge interest from companies across the region wanting to reduce carbon emissions and embrace innovative technologies, while securing a reliable and green source of energy.