Wed, 20 October, 2021
TWI is perfectly positioned to support industry as the UK Government pursues a strategy to move towards a virtually zero carbon economy.
Part of this strategy is focused on the growth of electric vehicle (EV) use and the provision of street charging points. With £620 million being made available in grants to promote this growth and an extra £350 million promised to help the automotive supply chain move to electric, car manufacturers are also to be mandated to sell a proportion of clean vehicles each year.
TWI has a wealth of experience in assisting with the development of EV technologies, placing us in the perfect position to help our Industrial Members meet the goals of this new strategy. We have been involved in a variety of projects to improve electric vehicle technologies as well as those related to associated areas such as vehicle light-weighting.
The Government are seeking a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in order to reach a net zero target by 2050. This will impact the power generation industries as grants are announced to help homeowners install low-carbon heat pumps as a replacement to gas boilers.
This net zero target also includes the offer of a further £120 million to develop small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). TWI has been working as part of a consortium led by Rolls Royce to create affordable energy, and more of it, with a lower carbon footprint through the implementation of SMRs.
Along with initiatives such as peat restoration and tree planting, the Government are also creating two clusters promoting carbon capture and storage and hydrogen production.
TWI has experience from a range of projects related to hydrogen storage and monitoring as well as the use of hydrogen fuel cells for transport and other power applications. Of course, this is just part of our ongoing work with different forms of renewable energy, including the creation of a Renewable Energy Innovation Centre, while our work in various areas of geothermal energy production also has cross-over benefits for carbon capture and storage.
As the UK Government stresses that the net zero transition will be driven by business and create 440,000 jobs and up to £90 billion in private investment by 2030, TWI has shown support for the National Engineering Policy Centre’s spending review to provide the required skills and investment to decarbonise the economy.
With global leaders due to meet in Glasgow between 31 October and 12 November for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), TWI will also be represented at the conference exhibition as participants in the GATERS Project.
TWI are also supporting the European Commission’s €1 billion call for research and innovation projects to tackle the climate crisis and serve to protect Europe’s ecosystems and biodiversity as we continue to work to address challenges of climate change, renewable energy and a carbon neutral future.
To find out more about our work in these areas and to discuss how we can assist with your projects, please contact us, below.