Centrica is to develop a new £35m training academy and energy transition research laboratory in Lutterworth, which will open in May 2026.
Centrica Energy Park will see thousands of engineers trained each year in the skills necessary to drive the energy transition including heat pumps, EV chargers, solar panels and battery storage.
Centrica, owner of British Gas, Hive, and Bord Gais Energy, sees the academy as a key investment in the skills of its 7,000-strong engineer workforce and in the creation of new green jobs in the UK and Ireland.
The academy will have a full size ‘eco house’ to demonstrate how all of the skills and capabilities of Centrica’s workforce come together to deliver the home of the future.
Additionally, the academy will be home to research laboratories including a Net Zero Lab used to test existing and emerging Net Zero Energy & Heating Technologies, a Diagnostic & Innovation Lab providing business support to British Gas’ engineers and developing bespoke tools and equipment, a Smart Testing Lab providing a controlled environment to develop, test and support new and existing smart metering technologies, a Centrica Business Solutions Controls Lab used to develop and test controls systems for commercial and industrial energy and heating solutions, and a Hive Lab to support the development, testing and quality assurance of new and existing Hive Home products, including EV Chargers.
Chris O’Shea, chief executive of Centrica, said: “Creating the well paid, unionised jobs needed to drive the energy transition is one of the biggest tasks facing the energy industry today.
“Our state of the art facility in Lutterworth will set a new benchmark for industry training, providing our engineers with the skills and confidence to deliver the first-class service our customers rightly expect and with more engineers trained in green skills, our energy transition will be more achievable.
“We already have four award winning academies in Dartford, Hamilton, Leicester and Thatcham and since 2021, we’ve welcomed over 1,700 new apprentices.
“We’re committed to hiring a new apprentice for every day of this decade and our new academy will help us meet that ambition whilst also supporting the drive to diversify the UK’s engineering workforce, and our research labs will drive the innovation necessary to make sure we deliver a just transition which leaves no-one behind.”
Alberto Costa, MP for South Leicestershire, said: “I am really pleased to welcome Centrica’s groundbreaking £35m Net Zero Training Academy to Lutterworth. This is all about developing the relevant skills of the future and fostering innovation.
“This state-of-the-art facility will empower thousands of engineers with essential green skills. It’s a great example of industry leading the way in sustainable innovation right here in South Leicestershire.”
Centrica’s new training academy will officially open and welcome engineers from May 2026. The existing Leicester Academy will be integrated into the new facility as part of the transition. The new facility will be 40% larger than the existing British Gas academy in Leicester, allowing for increased training capacity.
