- New artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to accelerate
industrial decarbonisation across the country
- nearly £4 million in government funding for green AI
innovations
- government-backed research centre to champion UK’s
advancement of AI for decarbonisation
Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to transform the way
industries cut their carbon emissions thanks to a
multi-million-pound government investment announced today
(Tuesday 15 August).
Twelve green AI
initiatives will receive a share of £1 million to
decarbonise and boost generation of renewable energy,
contributing to reaching the country’s ambitious net zero goal by
2050.
The schemes range from solar energy improvements, that use
AI to improve the
forecasting of when it will best produce energy for the grid, to
the decarbonisation of dairy farming through the use of
AI robots monitoring
crop and soil health.
Even AI itself could
reduce its carbon footprint, with one project developing hardware
that will mimic the human brain so that a computer can reduce
power consumption when performing AI tasks.
On top of this, government will provide a further £2.25 million
to support further AI innovations, with the aim of
cutting emissions specifically in energy sectors.
This forms part of the government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation
Portfolioand cements the UK’s position firmly at the
forefront of AI and
decarbonisation.
Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance said:
We are unquestionably world-leading when it comes to advanced
AI and our track
record for decarbonisation.
This unique position means we must now push the boundaries in how
this technology can enhance our rapidly-growing clean energy
sector.
It’s projects like those announced today that will take us to the
next step on our ambitious journey to becoming net zero, while
boosting our energy security and creating a new wave of skilled
jobs for the future.
Minister for AI and
Intellectual Property, , said:
AI is delivering
transformative change in the UK. These winning projects are yet
another example of how we are tapping into our world-class
research base and home-grown expertise to tackle one of the most
pressing global challenges of our time.
Whether backing projects to help us slash emissions or supporting
research to revolutionise healthcare for patients, we’re
harnessing the enormous potential of AI technologies to improve
people’s lives.
The government’s Digital Catapult agency, which is part of
Innovate UK and supports businesses in progressing their
ideas, has also today received up to £500,000 to launch the
UK’s first Centre for Excellence on AI innovation for
decarbonisation (ADViCE).
This will provide a virtual hub that will bring together
businesses, academics and experts to advance research into
AI solutions that
will help industries cut emissions.
CEO of Digital Catapult, Dr Jeremy Silver, said:
The ADViCE
programme will drive forward AI’s integral role in solving
critical decarbonisation challenges. The programme partners sit
at the heart of the UK’s dynamic AI ecosystem and are perfectly
placed to forge collaborations between the technology community
and some of our most carbon intensive sectors.
Smart use of AI and
data will be fundamental to meeting the UK’s net zero commitment.
ADViCE
will support those building the algorithms and those investing in
AI solutions in the
most impactful way possible.
The AI projects to
receive a total of £1 million to develop new decarbonisation
solutions include:
- Secqai Ltd. in London will receive £100,000 to support the
development of new ultra-low-power AI technology, which mirrors the
neural structure of the human brain. This new system will consume
a fraction of the power of traditional AI hardware, helping to cut its
carbon footprint
- £121,500 for London-based Open Climate Fix Ltd. to develop
AI that will support
the connection of solar electricity to the energy grid. The
technology will use satellite and weather data to forecast the
amount to solar energy being transferred to the grid, to reduce
network congestion and maximise the amount of renewable energy
transmitted
- £133,932 will also support a solar energy project run by the
University of Nottingham. In this project, AI will improve the forecasting
of solar energy production, using sky images and weather data
- £132,147 will help list.io Ltd. to create a new agriculture
robotics that will provide an automated soil and crop health
monitoring system, to support decarbonisation in crop management
and dairy farms
The government has today announced a further £2.25 million under
its AI for
Decarbonisation Programme, taking the total funding provided to
£3.75 million. Energy firms, software developers and innovators
have until 10 October 2023 to apply.
Notes to editors
Full list of successful
projects to receive a share of £1 million from the government’s
AI for
Decarbonisation Programme.
Stream 3 of the
AI for
Decarbonisation Programme.
