24 November 2011

UK funding to support materials R&D for energy technologies

UK Government funding of £3m is to be made available – through its Technology Strategy Board – to back seven industry-led R&D projects that aim to demonstrate materials to support the development of future energy technologies. The collaborative projects will apply and demonstrate materials technologies for use in energy generation, transmission, distribution and storage.

The companies leading the projects include optoelectronics device foundry Compound Semiconductor Technologies Global Ltd (CSTG) of Hamilton Technology Park, High Blantyre (near Glasgow), Scotland, as well as Alstom Grid UK Ltd, C-Tech Innovation Ltd, Cella Energy Ltd, Intrinsiq Materials Ltd, Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells Ltd and Sharp Laboratories Europe.

The Technology Strategy Board says that, because of the need to reduce both national and global CO2 emissions, the UK faces a number of challenges around energy supply, cost and security, requiring the UK to adopt a balanced portfolio of energy technologies. UK industry now has an opportunity to examine transferable materials solutions and methods that will be needed to support the development of future energy technologies, it adds.

The projects will hence support the research, experimental development and application of materials that address challenges in scaling up technologies, from proof-of-concept to small-scale technology demonstrations and pilots. The projects will be in areas such as:

• Catalyst and membranes to establish hydrogen storage infrastructure;
• Fuel cells incorporating nanomaterials;
• High-grade waste heat recovery photovoltaic materials; and 
• Composite insulation for power transmission applications.

The funding awards by the Technology Strategy Board follow successful application by the companies to the Materials for Energy competition for R&D funding. Including match-funding by the participating businesses, the total value of the projects is more than £6.5m.

Tags: CSTG

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