Hull College to open £5m green energy training centre
UK – Hull College has announced the opening of a £5 million green energy training centre to equip learners with the skills needed to support the UK’s transition to a low-carbon economy, with heat pump technology playing a central role in its new facilities.
The Greenwave centre will open this September at the college’s city centre campus and will provide specialist training across a range of renewable and low-carbon technologies. Backed by £5 million from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, the development is said to reinforce Hull College’s ambition to become a world-class provider of green skills education and workforce development.
Designed to meet the growing demand for skilled workers, Greenwave will feature dedicated training facilities for air source and ground source heat pumps, alongside solar PV, solar thermal, hydrogen fuel cells, wind energy technologies, electric vehicles, carbon capture and sustainable construction.
The investment reflects the increasing importance of technical education in supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions, particularly as demand grows for qualified heat pump installers and engineers capable of delivering low-carbon heating solutions at scale.
Hull College already delivers more than 145 courses linked to green skills and has trained over 2,700 learners in related disciplines during the past year. The new centre will significantly expand its capacity to provide industry-led training that aligns with the Humber’s rapidly developing renewable energy sector, which includes offshore wind, decarbonisation, retrofit, advanced manufacturing and future energy technologies.
Among the specialist equipment installed within Greenwave are air source and ground source heat pump training systems, allowing learners to gain practical experience with the technologies increasingly being deployed in homes and commercial buildings as part of the UK’s decarbonisation strategy.
Additional facilities include renewable energy simulators, hydrogen fuel cell technology, specialist welding equipment linked to carbon capture infrastructure and smart building technologies focused on improving energy efficiency.
Debra Gray CBE, Principal and CEO of Hull College, said the centre represents a major milestone for both the college and the wider region.
“The opening of Greenwave will be hugely significant, not only for Hull College and learners, but for employers and the wider Humber region,” she said.
The Humber is leading the UK’s transition to a low-carbon economy and the demand for highly skilled people has never been greater.
Debra Gray CBE, Principal and CEO of Hull College
“Our role is to ensure people across the region have access to outstanding facilities, industry-led training and clear pathways into the careers that will shape the future, aligned with national priorities.”
The project has received strong backing from industry, with 29 employers supporting the college’s successful funding bid, highlighting the importance of developing a pipeline of skilled workers capable of supporting the region’s clean energy ambitions.
Greenwave has also been welcomed by the Hull and East Yorkshire Local Skills Improvement Plan (HEY LSIP), which works with employers and education providers to ensure regional training reflects future workforce requirements.
Rod Chambers, Project Lead for HEY LSIP, described the investment as a significant opportunity for both learners and businesses. “The whole green skills sector has been identified by HEY LSIP and its partners as something which is vital to all businesses,” he added.
“Hull College is a key partner of the LSIP and we see the Greenwave training centre as an exciting addition to the facilities. We look forward to working with Hull College to promote Greenwave’s services and facilities to employers and learners.”
The wider economic benefits were also highlighted by Dr Diana Taylor, Managing Director of Future Humber, who said investment in skills would be critical to sustaining growth across the region’s nationally significant energy and industrial sectors.
Hull City Council Leader Councillor Mike Ross added that the investment would help local businesses grow while creating new opportunities for young people entering the workforce.
