UK programme funds 32 innovative energy projects

The Energy Catalyst programme in the UK has granted £11.3m ($17m) to support 32 innovative projects that aim to address various energy issues.

The programme is a joint effort by the government’s Innovate UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Innovate UK head of energy Rob Saunders said: "Tackling the energy trilemma is the biggest challenge facing the energy sector today.

Businesses, consumers and producers are all recognising the economic sense of reducing costs and carbon emissions, as well as making sure we have a resilient energy supply.

The Energy Catalyst is specifically designed to address that challenge, while at the same time helping firms across the UK benefit economically from it and bring innovative new products to the market."

Among the projects selected for funding are a system which uses the sun to cool buildings, an ultra-low temperature battery that can be used in Antarctica, and a biofuel cell which turns a waste product from beer into energy.

Invented by Peterborough-based Solar Polar, the solar cooling system does not require electricity. The easy-to-maintain system, which will have an age of 30 years, will suit the cooling requirements of dwellings and small to medium sized offices, small scale food storage and retail spaces.

Hyperdrive Innovation of Sunderland and Oxis energy from Oxford have come up with a new generation of energy storage for use in extremely cold climates. It is being tested by the British Antarctic Survey in Antarctica.

Chester-based C-Tech Innovation and Imperial College, London are developing a device which takes waste water containing carbohydrates such as sugar from food producers, breweries and other processes and uses it to generate electricity.