Carbon Neutral Investments signs exclusive partnership with BLOODHOUND
24 October 2012
Following the successful first test of BLOODHOUND SSC’s full rocket system, Carbon Neutral Investments (CNI) has become the sole environmental sponsor of the pioneering British team, to offset all emissions for the programme.
The BLOODHOUND Project is a global education initiative focussed on a 1000mph land speed record attempt. It aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and its centrepiece is BLOODHOUND SSC (Super Sonic Car), a 133,000thp rocket and jet powered racing car.
The organisation behind BLOODHOUND has held the land speed record continuously for the past 29 years. Lead by former land speed record holder Richard Noble OBE (Thrust 2, 633mph, 1983), and driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, the current record holder (Thrust SSC, 763mph, 1997), the BLOODHOUND team also comprises world class aerodynamicists, aerospace and automotive engineers, electronic experts and rocket scientists, as well as hundreds of volunteer ambassadors working within the 5,300 UK schools already engaged with the project.
Richard Noble says: “It has been a long held ambition of the BLOODHOUND team to deliver this amazing engineering adventure and new world land speed record without leaving any lasting mark on the environment. With CNI, we go above and beyond that ambition by partnering with a world leader in carbon off-setting with very specialist experience in high-octane ventures, providing the perfect fit for making the project carbon neutral.”
CNI’s head of UK operations, Edward Carlton, added: “CNI is very proud to partner with this ground breaking historic event. The venture is already environmentally conscious and offsetting the project builds upon the beneficial work BLOODHOUND has achieved undertaking actions such as preserving global test sites. A great focus is placed on innovation and education, creating a new generation of scientists and engineers who will lead the way in achieving future technological efficiencies. We are delighted to have been selected to be a part of the journey.”
Already The BLOODHOUND Project is creating enormous global interest across all demographics and territories. The adventure is being followed in 217 countries, with more than 150,000 unique visitors to its website each month. Uniquely, every part of this ‘engineering adventure’ is shared with audiences around the world.
The recent rocket test not only generated major media coverage, with the biggest newspapers in the US, India and China amongst those carrying the story, it was also streamed live on the Internet. The last time a rocket test was made public at such an early stage of development was during the early years of the Apollo programme.
BLOODHOUND SSC is now in build, with companies across the UK and Europe manufacturing major components of the car. It will roll out in early Summer 2013 ready for a series of runway tests up to 250mph, before heading to its dry-lakebed track in South Africa ready to start the high speed campaign.