31.10.19
Two competitions established to help achieve decarbonisation of UK industry
The government is urging businesses to take part in two competitions aiming to help achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and establish the world’s first net zero industrial cluster by 2040.
Around a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions are produced by industrially intensive areas and whilst vital to UK economy, they are a threat to the environment.
The Industrial Decarbonisation challenge aims to accelerate the cost-effective decarbonisation of industry by introducing low- carbon technologies.
As part of the Industrial Decarbonisation challenge to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, the government has established two, phase one competitions as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
The challenge fund will commit £170m towards rolling out technologies like carbon capture and hydrogen networks in industrial clusters. This is expected to be matched by funding of up to £261m from industry.
The first competition – deployment - gives UK businesses the opportunity to apply for a share of up to £1m for their company to commit to the development of decarbonisation plans.
Criteria for the competition insists that your project must have total costs between £60,000 and £200,000, be ran by a UK business, be collaborative, last between three and four months and be willing to share your results with other UK industrial clusters.
The competition opened 28 Oct for applicants and closes on December 4 at midday.
Successful applicants from phase 1 will then compete for phase 2, where up to £131 million will be awarded for projects that will deliver, or support delivery of, significant emissions reductions in a UK industrial cluster by 2030.
The second competition - roadmaps - has the same low carbon and net zero industrial clusters goal and up to £1m in funding avialable for the development of decarbonisation roadmaps for major UK industrial clusters.
In phase 2 up to £8 million will be awarded for the development of industrial cluster decarbonisation roadmaps for major UK industrial clusters. Successful plans must outline how a cluster could be carbonised to net-zero levels.
To qualify for Competition Two, your project must have total costs between £40,000 and £120,000, be able to demonstrate collaboration within a cluster, be carried out in the UK, have intentions to exploit the results in at least one UK industrial cluster and last between three and four months.
The competition is also open for applicants and closes on December 4 at midday.
Photo credit: GovUK