Government funding for green tech projects

A government fund will support innovative green technologies in the UK with £19m rewarded to entrepreneurs from around the country. 

The Energy Entrepreneurs Fund will benefit 37 British companies alongside a £5m competition to support industrial businesses with decarbonisation efforts.

Newly appointed Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Grant Shapps, said: ‘The UK is a nation of innovators, and this funding will help the next generation of energy pioneers develop cheap and green technologies of the future. 

‘This will not only deliver more green jobs and cheaper energy but also create world-leading solutions to help us reach net zero and economic growth.’ 

Funding is part of the government’s ambitions to drive the UK to net-zero by 2050 and comes from the £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio to ‘accelerate the commercialisation of low-carbon technologies.’ 

Projects that will receive funding from the fund includes one from Clearwell Technology in Scotland which will use £223,872 towards its efforts to transform the decommissioning process for old oil and gas wells by designing a thermal pipe milling tool to plug them up. 

Build Solar Ltd, originating from Exeter University, also receives funding towards its low-cost glass brick project which would allow buildings to generate their own power by collecting solar energy through their walls. 

A project to develop a 5G floating network aiding wind farm installation from Jet Engineering System Solutions will receive over £250k, CEO James Thomas said: ‘EEF funding support is an incredibly valuable step for JET in our innovation deployment roadmap, facilitating a major trial of our 5G base station platforms. 

‘We are looking forward to getting started with the project R&D and making the most of the support of the government throughout.’

The £5m Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans competition will launch this summer with winners announced later in the year, it will focus on industry focussed businesses such as glass, ceramic and cement manufacturers. Details on how to enter the competition will be released in spring.

Net Zero ambitions have led to funding for a variety of tech projects and start ups in recent years including through the government’s Levelling Up scheme which recently benefited an enviro-tech start up support centre in Oldham.

Photo by Tyler Casey