Insider Media Limited

A non-incineration waste-to-energy company is set to more than double its workforce after moving into No. 1 Nottingham Science Park. Chinook Sciences has secured 15,000 sq ft of office space in the business park.

The company, which develops industrial renewable energy technology, will take most of the available space in the south wing at the development in University Boulevard. It has signed a five-and-a-half year lease with the Park’s developer, Blueprint.

Chinook will move from its current premises in Park Row, and will increase its workforce from 45 to 90 over the next 12 months. It said that the recruitment is anticipated on the basis of expected demand for its recycling technology as local authorities seek alternatives to land-filling waste.

Paul Riley, senior manager at Chinook Sciences, said: “The biggest driver in the market is going to be the need to reduce landfill, especially since European legislation means that landfill tax will keep increasing over the coming years.

Blueprint’s sales and marketing director, John Long, said: “In 18 months we’ve done six deals and we’ve kept faith with this building. We started designing No.1 Nottingham Science Park in 2006 at a time when people weren’t building energy-efficient green buildings on this scale. There wasn’t the interest in iconic design and the science park was seen as hugely risky.

"People didn’t get it and there was even a bit of sniggering. Then the recession came. But we always said ‘when the good times return and businesses start looking at property again they will get it’ – and that is what has happened.”