Tuesday 11 August 2020

Disused mine heating scheme among 17 projects granted up to £50k by government

A total of 17 ambitious research and innovation projects across the UK have each been awarded up to £50,000 government funding - these projects include a range of energy and heat-related schemes.

Spread across the UK, located in places such as Glasgow, Belfast, Nottingham and Cornwall, the projects aim to spur technological advancement and help work towards a stronger, more sustainable UK economy.

Organisations that have received a funding boost include HotScot, led by the University of Strathclyde, which will capture energy from disused, flooded mines in Glasgow and use it to provide affordable low carbon heat to Scottish homes and businesses, as well as the  South West Floating Offshore Wind Accelerator, which is working to fast-track the building of large-scale floating offshore wind farms in the Celtic Sea from 2025 onwards.

The projects also include non-energy-related initiatives, such as researching quicker ways of diagnosing cancer.

If the early stages of development are successful .each project will be able to apply for a further longer-term investment of up to t0 million later this year, through the second round of UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) flagship Strength in Places Fund.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “We are backing our innovators and with the support they need to turn great ideas into first-class industries, products and technologies.

“From virtual construction projects to extracting clean heat from disused mines, the pioneering projects we are funding today will help create jobs and boost skills across the UK as we continue to drive forward our economic recovery.”