UK Businesses Receive £80 Million Boost to Combat Carbon Emissions

UK businesses have received a share of over £80 million in government funding to shift from fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives.

The funding, part of a £1 billion initiative to support clean technologies, was announced by Energy Minister Graham Stuart at the UK's Climate Innovation Forum.

Among the recipients of the funding is Kellogg's, a major breakfast company, which plans to use hydrogen to fuel its cereal production process in Manchester. The government has invested over £3 million in this project. Annandale Distillery, one of Scotland's oldest whisky makers, will also receive a £3.6 million government investment to develop low-carbon thermal heating technology. The distillery aims to use a system developed by Exergy3 Ltd to store energy from electricity in ceramic bricks, which will be used to decarbonise the whisky-making process.

The funding is intended to help businesses transform their industries by adopting cleaner energy sources like hydrogen and biomass. It reflects the government's commitment to enhancing energy security and promoting economic growth in the UK.

Minister Graham Stuart emphasised the importance of reducing carbon emissions and energy costs for manufacturers, and the funding will enable them to leverage the latest scientific advancements and energy sources to move away from fossil fuels. The winners of the funding were announced at the Climate Innovation Forum, where Minister Stuart urged industry leaders and international organisations to support green innovation.

Lord Callanan, the Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, highlighted the opportunity for the UK's growing green energy sector and emphasised the importance of investing in cutting-edge projects to drive innovation in the transition away from fossil fuels.

Other recipients of the funding include Burton's Food Ltd, the largest biscuit maker in Britain, which will replace a gas oven with a low-carbon electric oven at its Dorset bakery. Procter & Gamble (P&G), a consumer goods giant, will receive funding to explore integrating carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies into their manufacturing processes.

The funding is part of the government's £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which aims to scale up low-carbon technologies across UK industries. The projects funded in this round include industrial fuel switching, hydrogen production from biomass and waste, and carbon capture utilisation and storage.

The government's commitment to reducing UK energy demand by 15% by 2030 and achieving greater energy independence is driving these funding initiatives. Additionally, the government has released reports providing guidance on hydrogen technology systems as part of the Industrial Hydrogen Accelerator programme to support the transition to alternative energy sources in UK industries.

Article by GOV.UK