Energy Minister today (Thursday 4 February) announced the
latest round of
the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund (EEF), which
seeks to drive forward new clean technologies across
all sectors of UK industry, supporting the UK to
eliminate its contribution to climate change by 2050.
This includes innovations that boost energy efficiency
in people’s homes, reduce carbon emissions and develop
green transport as well as sourcing cleaner and greener
ways to generate power and heat.
The UK’s budding energy entrepreneurs are being urged
to bid for the latest £11 million government funding,
which will support between 15 and 20 projects, with
each successful bidder receiving up to £1 million.
Successful projects could create hundreds of green jobs
and kickstart millions-of-pounds-worth of private
sector investment across the UK, helping the country to
build back greener as we host the COP26
climate summit in Glasgow this November.
Previous recipients of funding include CCm Technologies
in Swindon that is working with Walkers Crisps to
implement carbon capture innovations in its factory
processes, and Leeds-based C-Capture, which has
developed processes to capture harmful greenhouse
gases, including an innovative deployment of its
technology at the Drax power station in North
Yorkshire.
Energy Minister said:
The UK is famous for its strong entrepreneurial
spirit. We want to unleash this talent to drive
forward green technologies across the UK, helping the
public and businesses cut their carbon footprint.
The Energy Entrepreneurs Fund is backing the UK’s
next generation of inventors and innovators to turn
their ideas into reality, with previous successful
projects already helping drive down emissions across
the country and creating green jobs as we work to
build back greener.
Since 2012, the government’s Energy Entrepreneurs Fund
has awarded £72 million worth of grants, supported 156
projects and leveraged more than £500 million in
private investment – a figure that is still growing.
Previous low-carbon projects that have reaped the
rewards of government grants, include:
-
Axis Energy Projects, Aberdeen:
received £217,160 to develop an efficient and
low-cost method of anchoring floating offshore wind
turbines to the seabed that could enable offshore
wind technology to be positioned in more remote and
deeper parts of the marine environment that are
inaccessible to fixed turbines and contributing
towards UK commitments to produce 40GW of wind power
by 2030
-
Energy Transitions Ltd, Cardiff:
received £160,793 to develop the Steel Zero system,
which combines innovative stainless steel cladding
panels with solar energy technology so a building’s
entire façade can produce clean and efficient heat
for the spaces within
-
Glass Technology Services Ltd,
Sheffield: received £508,739 to lead a
project with 6 partners to revolutionise glassmaking
by replacing existing raw materials with ash waste
from the biomass energy industry, reducing the high
temperatures required in the glass production process
and lowering energy requirements, costs and carbon
emissions by up to 10%
-
Radfan, Newcastle: received £20,250
to develop an innovative fan unit that fixes to the
top of any central heating radiator and redirects the
flow of warm air horizontally into the room,
preventing heat from escaping, keeping people’s rooms
warm and helping to lower heating bills
UK Net Zero Business Champion,
said:
I am thrilled to welcome the next stage of this
excellent scheme, which is harnessing the creativity
of British entrepreneurs to protect both the planet
and UK industry by large and small innovations alike.
This is another great step from our government,
investing in the jobs of the future and the next
generation of UK business who will lead the world in
eliminating emissions from industry and driving
forward our green industrial revolution.
UK Government Minister for Scotland,
said:
The UK government celebrates entrepreneurship. We are
committed to rewarding innovation and hard work.
Entrepreneurs bring solutions to problems, such as
climate change, whilst creating new jobs and
supporting our economic recovery from coronavirus.
With a long history of innovation, it is no surprise
Scotland is producing lots of really exciting
startups – including previous Scottish recipients of
the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund.
I encourage Scotland’s energy entrepreneurs to apply
for a share of this £11 million UK government funding
as we seek to build back better ahead of COP26 in
Glasgow later this year.
Secretary of State for Wales, said:
The chance to share in this funding is fantastic news
for promising Welsh energy entrepreneurs. The UK
government is committed to achieving net zero carbon
by 2050. We will do so by investing in pioneering
projects, people and businesses, creating green jobs
and opportunities for people across Wales.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland,
said:
Northern Ireland is a nation that embodies
entrepreneurial spirit and is at the forefront of our
efforts to cultivate a more environmentally
sustainable future across the United Kingdom. With a
share of this new £11 million investment, Northern
Ireland’s entrepreneurs will be able to help
supercharge the United Kingdom’s ‘Green Economy’, as
we continue to work towards our goal of reducing our
emissions to net zero by 2050.
Northern Ireland based projects such as Senergy
Innovations and Minesto have already developed
cutting edge technologies to harness natural
resources for energy, a testament to our
extraordinary local talent. I encourage all our
budding entrepreneurs to apply for this scheme to
help us build back greener from the coronavirus
pandemic.
Tom White, CEO C-Capture, said:
Innovations in carbon capture technology are vital in
helping the UK achieve its net zero target. Energy
Entrepreneurs funding enabled C-Capture to further
develop and deploy its technology, to demonstrate the
performance and cost advantages which will be
advantageous to companies seeking to decarbonise
their operations.
The support we have received from the UK government
has been of fundamental importance in developing a
technology has the potential to capture millions of
tonnes of CO2 per year.
John Blower, CEO Energy Transitions Ltd, said:
The Energy Entrepreneurs Fund acted as a catalyst
that enabled us to take forward our Steel Zero solar
façade from concept towards market readiness.
BEIS’ support, both through the Energy
Entrepreneurs Fund grant and the associated
‘Incubation Support’, which has assisted us in a
range of areas, including branding, licensing and
marketing, has had a transformational effect and
helped us establish a platform from which we aim to
create a global clean technology business.
John Baross, managing director Axis Energy Projects,
said:
Axis Energy Projects was pleased to have received a
grant from the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund. It allowed
us to progress our low-cost anchoring method for
floating offshore wind turbines not only on the UK
Continental Shelf but on a global basis.
Such was our progress that we can now focus on
offshore wind farms and on decarbonising existing and
new offshore oil and gas production facilities. This
would not have been possible without the grant award.
Christine Boyle, CEO Senergy Innovations, said:
For Senergy, the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund programme
brought the perfect combination of critical
early-stage funding and business acceleration
support. The network of academic and business experts
that were brought together to support our innovation
journey was key to our success.
The wealth of experience both within CLT, the
programme partner companies, and the international
organisations they collaborate with, was key to
delivering our early commercial success. A fantastic
opportunity to turn an entrepreneur’s idea into a
global opportunity.
In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to
legally commit to ending its contribution to global
warming by 2050. This commitment has been reinforced by
the Prime Minister’s ten point
plan and the Energy White
Paper, published in 2020.
Notes for editors
The Energy Entrepreneurs Fund (EEF) is a programme
funded through the
BEIS £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.
The EEF
supplies innovation grants for small to medium sized
enterprises and start-up companies to back the
development and demonstration of disruptive
technologies whilst also supporting our decarbonisation
targets. Read more
details about the EEF.
Read a full list
of previous successful projects.
