Restoring Nature at Firestone Bridge: One Year of Progress
At NXTGENbps, we believe sustainability goes beyond clean energy generation – it’s about supporting the ecosystems that sustain us all. That’s why last year we partnered with the Firestone Bridge Conservation Project, an initiative led by James McAleer to restore a degraded industrial landscape in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
As a company dedicated to renewable power solutions, we recognise that truly sustainable practices require looking beyond technology alone. Peatlands like those at Firestone Bridge are among the planet’s most effective carbon sinks – when healthy, they capture and store more carbon per hectare than forests. By supporting their restoration, we’re investing in natural climate solutions that complement the clean energy work we do every day.
What was once a lead mine and Victorian council tip is being transformed into a thriving ecosystem, helping preserve vital peatland and biodiversity for generations to come. Now over twelve months on, remarkable progress has been made – powered in part by clean energy from NXTGENbps battery systems.
Powering Regeneration
Sustainable restoration in such a remote environment brings its own challenges. With no access to mains electricity, traditional generators would risk undoing the very environmental gains the project aims to achieve. Instead, Firestone Bridge runs on portable NXTGENbps batteries, providing reliable, zero-emission power for equipment, irrigation, lighting, and monitoring tools used on site.
This clean energy support has allowed James and his team to conduct surveys, operate essential tools, and even power the early stages of the new reservoir and sphagnum moss farm without relying on fossil fuels – keeping the project’s carbon footprint low from the ground up.
Rebuilding the Landscape
A key milestone has been the creation of a new reservoir, diverting water away from contaminated mine spoil and back through its original wetland route – as shown on maps dating back centuries. This allows rainwater to slow naturally, reducing flood risk downstream while supporting the irrigation of the site’s forthcoming sphagnum moss farm, essential for peatland regeneration and carbon capture.
Other recent developments include:
- Revetment construction to prevent erosion and protect the river from polluted materials.
- Leaky dam installation to manage water flow and encourage habitat formation.
- Soil recreation and bio-crusting trials, exploring new ways to stabilise contaminated ground and encourage plant growth.
- Archaeological research uncovering historic mine workings dating to the Middle Ages, linking environmental restoration with cultural preservation.
Universities, including researchers from Newcastle University, are now using the site for PhD studies focused on soil regeneration and ecosystem restoration – evidence of Firestone Bridge’s growing scientific and educational importance.
Our Continued Support
Our ongoing involvement in the Firestone Bridge Conservation Project reflects more than our commitment to sustainable power – it’s part of our belief that technology and nature can work together to create real, lasting change. By supplying clean, portable energy where it’s needed most, we’re helping enable projects like this to operate entirely off-grid, proving that renewable power can drive both environmental progress and practical results.
To learn more or support the next phase of the project, visit Firestone Bridge Conservation Project on Instagram – and if you can, please consider donating to support this work.
