North East subsea engineers are going green with a £300,000 investment

Subsea engineering and technology innovator SMD has spent more than £300,000 on sustainable infrastructure, including the installation of solar panels on top of its headquarters, a full transition to LED lighting at all sites and the launch of a company-wide power station car leasing programme, with seven on-site charging points .

The company has made significant environmental improvements at its Wallsend headquarters and announced plans to achieve ISO 14001 environmental standard certification by the end of the year.

The initiative is led by operations director Richard Bray. Commenting on the upgrades, he said: “As a progressive and responsible company, we pride ourselves on improving the world we live in.

“Much of our underwater technology is designed to facilitate the transition to clean energy, making offshore sustainable energy a safer, more financially viable option for companies around the world. It is not only a no-brainer to improve our on-shore operations, but also a huge milestone to adopt our sustainable approach for our Northeast base.

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“I am pleased to say that our long-term investment has already delivered tangible benefits; our new LED lighting uses 90 percent less energy than previous fixtures, our solar panels provide 70 percent of our energy consumption, and our recycling points throughout the site divert more of our waste from landfills, minimizing our carbon footprint.

SMD Chairman Mike Jones added: “As part of our business growth strategy, our commitment to expansion is matched by our commitment to environmental stewardship.

“Our pursuit of ISO 14001 certification reflects our desire to implement sustainable practices at every level of our operations and have a measurably better impact on the planet.

“We are proud to advance our environmental agenda while developing the technology our customers need to do the same.”