£5 million of funding awarded by UK Research and Innovation for new impact focused bioenergy hub
The Supergen Bioenergy Hub is delighted to announce the successful award of £5 million to deliver the new impact focused bioenergy hub for the next 4 years starting in November 2023.
The funding awarded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Engineering and Physical Research Council (EPSRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) comes as part of a wider announcement from UKRI investing a total of £53 million in six research centres across the country which will drive forward change in the energy system and help to meet the UK’s net zero target by 2050.
Three Supergen Impact Hubs for Bioenergy, Energy Networks and Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE), together with a new Energy Demand Research Centre and two hydrogen hubs UK-HyRES and HI-ACT are all awarded funding under the new green energy package from the UKRI.
Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said:
“Our world-leading expertise and knowledge on the latest clean technologies starts in our universities.
“Today’s Government funding will support cutting-edge research across Britain, helping to deliver cleaner, cheaper home-grown renewable energy sources – helping grow our economy and boost our energy security.”
In the new Supergen Bioenergy Impact Hub, led by Director of the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute, Professor Patricia Thornley, Aston University will work closely with Imperial College London led by Professor Jason Hallett (on the area of incubation), and the University of York led by Professor Helen Sneddon (on the area of diffusion), to ensure that sustainable bioenergy technology solutions developed in the UK are effectively pulled forward into demonstration in supportive enabling environments.
The Universities of Surrey, Glasgow, Sheffield and Strathclyde will play key roles in developing innovative and disruptive bioenergy technologies.
Aston University, and the Universities of York, Glasgow, Southampton and Imperial College London will focus on delivering independent insights to support rapid replication and expansion of bioenergy across the UK to meet ambitious government targets announced in the forthcoming biomass strategy.
Key industrial partners of the new Hub include Advisian, Alps Ecoscience, Compact Syngas Solutions, Croda, DAABON, Energy Systems Catapult, Engas UK, Future Biogas, Glass Futures, Kew Technology, Progressive Energy, Reheat, Renewable Energy Association, Rolls Royce, Straw Innovations, Wales & West Utilities, Willow Energy, Straw Innovations, Terravesta, Uniper.
Professor Patricia Thornley said:
“Getting the right enabling environment is absolutely key to unleashing the massive potential of bioenergy in the U.K. We are delighted that UKRI have recognized the ability of the world class team of investigators in this proposal to deliver a step change in the bioenergy sector. We look forward to working with colleagues in industry, policy and academia to incorporate new ideas and information into this exciting new programme of work.”
For further information please contact the Supergen Bioenergy Hub at: supergen-bioenergy@aston.ac.uk
Read the Full Aston University press release.