A North East tech company at the forefront of the clean energy revolution is to double its headcount after opening a new HQ in Newcastle city centre.
Kinewell Energy, whose award-winning software solutions have been used to deliver some of the world’s largest offshore wind farms, has opened a new head office at Wizu Workspace at Portland House.
The new office will lead to the creation of up to nine new jobs over the coming months, doubling the size of the company’s headcount.
Kinewell Energy’s pioneering software solutions have made headlines the world-over in recent years, having been utilised on projects in all four corners of the globe.
From calculating the most economical way of arranging multi-million-pound subsea cable layouts, to pinpointing the best turbine locations and exporting energy, the company has worked with some of the world’s largest renewable energy producers to help save hundreds of millions of pounds and slash development times.
And with more projects in the pipeline, the company is hoping to continue building on this momentum as it recruits for a range of technical and senior positions, ranging from developers to a Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and a Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).
Dr Andrew Jenkins, founder and CEO of Kinewell Energy, said: “The opening of the new head office marks the beginning of what is an incredibly exciting new chapter for the company.
“We have ambitious plans to continue building on the success of our KLOC, KDOTS and KWOTA software in the year ahead with the launch of new products and services. Our new office will be a focal point for our team to continue innovating, delivering global technological leadership, and creating substantial value for our clients worldwide.
“While we will still have some staff working remotely, it will provide us with a central base where we can onboard our new recruits and bring people together in a collaborative environment that allows us to continue bringing new innovative solutions to the market. The space aligns with our sustainability goals of minimising our carbon footprint, and its Audio-Visual (AV) facilities enable hybrid in-person and remote meetings which is ideal for our team operating globally from Newcastle.
“The hiring of a CFO, CTO and CCO too will enable us to continue growing at our rate of doubling every year. We anticipate our team to reach 80 people within a couple of years and this new office will be central to helping us achieve that.”
Kinewell Energy has also been awarded the ‘Advanced Good Work Pledge’ by the North of Tyne Combined Authority and was named among the five North East companies last month to have secured funding from the Technology, Innovation and Green Growth for Offshore Renewables (TIGGOR) programme delivered by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.
Funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA), the companies will all receive a share of £1.2million which has been ringfenced to ‘turbo boost their technology and fast track their route to market’.
Dr Jenkins added: “We’ve been working on a concept for a new software solution for some time which has the potential to be a further step-change beyond our existing solutions that are already recognised as Gamechanging by RenewableUK’s 2023 Global Offshore Wind Awards. The funding from TIGGOR will be key to help accelerate bringing these solutions to life, and create local green jobs from global adoption of the technology.
“Our 2024 has started with a real buzz, building on multiple prestigious awards won at the end of 2023, moving into our new office, and recruiting to double the team to fulfil our rapidly expanding order book. The future of Kinewell Energy is very exciting.”
Dawn Dunn, digital and tech sector lead at Invest Newcastle, said: “We are thrilled to see Kinewell Energy open their new headquarters in Newcastle as they plan to double their headcount.
“Andrew and the team are doing some phenomenal work in driving innovation and sustainability in the energy sector and their commitment to the North East will help ensure that we remain at the forefront of the clean tech revolution.”
