UK industrial clusters gain from £6 mill award’s raft of decarbonisation projects

The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) named 20 research recipients across the country, covering a swathe of technological, environmental, economic, skills and societal aspects of the move to greener practices.

IDRIC, which was founded only in 2021 to speed research and innovation in industrial decarbonisation, works with more than 200 collaborators. It issued the so-called IDRIC Wave 2 Funding Call as recently as November 2022.

Director Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer praised the quality and volume of applications received in response.

"IDRIC’s programme has demonstrated that we have the tools to transform industry and make it an engine of green growth,” she stated.

“Our Wave 2 funding accompanied by the continued support of industry and academia will further enhance innovative decarbonisation solutions at pace and scale in the industrial heartlands, where it matters most.

She added that this would be followed by a request for entries for the organisation’s Flexible Funding and Secondment programmes, noting:

“These further exciting opportunities will offer the chance to stakeholders to respond to emerging research needs, as well as encouraging skills development and knowledge transfer in the industrial decarbonisation sector.”

The winning bidders are:

Dr Muhammad Akram - University of Sheffield

• “Process Intensification of CO? capture with Bioenergy using Rotating Packed Bed” with research in the Humber 
• Project partners: Newcastle University, Carbon Clean

Professor Alan Guwy - University of South Wales

• “VFA to PHA: Decarbonisation - A Route to Sustainable Plastics” with research in South Wales
• Project partners: University of Bath and a range of industry partners

Professor Richard Marsh - Cardiff University 

• “Enabling low carbon fuel technology deployment for power and high-temperature heat across the clusters” with research in South Wales and the Black Country
• Project partners: Imperial College London, University of Birmingham, Quantum ES, HyCymru, CRPlus (SWIC), Camirus (RtBC), RWE, Tata Steel Europe, Siemens Energy, Shell, CMB Tech, Low Carbon Industry Wales

Dr Jonathan Wagner - Loughborough University 

• “Algae-based carbon capture and utilisation for UK cluster decarbonisation” with research across all clusters 
• Project partners: Loughborough University, University of Manchester, Heriot-Watt University, Xanthella Ltd, Zest Associates, Severn Trent Water, Biffa Waste Services, Green Fuels Research, Algreen Ltd

Dr Lin Ma - University of Manchester 

• “Enabling hydrogen storage near industrial clusters (Phase 2): enhancing confidence in porous rock storage” with research in the Humber, Northwest, South Wales and Teesside
• Collaborators:  BGS, Heriot-Watt University, Centrica. Project partners: Progressive Energy, ENI

Dr Ronny Pini and Dr Maria Papathanasiou - Imperial College London 

• “Integrated Design and Optimisation for Nationwide Deployment of Direct Air Capture Units” with research taking place initially in Scotland and Teesside with other clusters at later date 

Dr Xinyuan Ke - University of Bath 

• “Up-scaling on-site CO? utilisation for decarbonisation of dispersed cement sector: a novel route to reliable net-zero concretes” with research in the Humber and South Wales 
• Project partners: Lafarge Cauldon Limited/ Aggregate Industries Ltd, CEMEX UK

 Jonathan Pearce - British Geological Survey 

• “Assessing the value of the UK North Sea CO? storage capacity” with research across the UK
• Project partner: Storegga

Dr Lindsay-Marie Armstrong - University of Southampton 

• “Accelerating the Scale-up of Next-Generation Fuels from CO?” with research in Solent and the Northwest 
• Project partners: University of Chester, The Solent Cluster, NW Alliance, Viridi CO?, Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute, Future Towns Innovation Hub

Dr Ilaria Mosca - British Geological Survey

• “A new seismic hazard model to support decarbonisation in offshore regions around the United Kingdom” with site-specific estimates in Scotland, North West, Teesside and the Humber 
• Project partner: Storegga

Dr Paula H. Blanco Sanchez & EBRI collaborators – Aston University/Energy & Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI)

• “Good plant design for measurement of CO?‚ in carbon capture and storage applications” with research across all clusters.
• Project partners: Energy Institute, Progressive Energy

Professor Marcelle McManus - University of Bath 

• “Creating a Carbon Framework for a decarbonised circular economy” with research in the Black Country and South Wales 
• Project Partners: University of Warwick, University of Birmingham, Energy Systems Catapult, TATA Steel, SWIC

Dr Clair Gough - University of Manchester 

• “Integrated Assessment of BECCS in context: environmental, policy, regulatory and social factors” with research in the Northwest

Professor James Gilbert - University of Hull

• “Diversity to Decarbonise: Promoting EDI in the future workforce” with research in the Northwest, the Humber with other clusters at later date 
• Project partners: Loughborough University, University of Chester, CATCH, Equinor

Dr Huashan Bao - Durham University 

• “CPD module development on Industrial heating and cooling” with research in Teesside and the Northwest
• Project partners: RPS Group, Tees Valley Combined Authority, NEPIC, North West Hydrogen Alliance, Northern Gas Networks

Professor Adam Hawkes - Imperial College London 

• “Unintended consequences? Life cycle comparison of UK industrial decarbonisation pathways” with research in the Humber, South Wales, Black Country and the Northwest

Dr Abby Samson - The University of Sheffield and collaborators: Prof Mathieu Lucquiaud, Prof Jon Gibbins and Dr Muhammad Akram

• “AMICUS: Analysis Methods for Improved Capture Using Solvents” with research across all clusters 
• Project partners: Bechtel, Uniper, Total Energies, Endress Hauser, International Test Centre, UK-China (Guangdong) CCUS Centre, Phillips 66, Tata Chemicals Europe, Progress Energy, VPI Immingham

Professor Dimitris Christopoulos – Heriot-Watt University 

• “Opportunities in Financing the Green Transition” with research across all clusters 
• Project partners: Napier University, Erasmus University

Professor Karen Turner – Director, Centre for Energy Policy, University of Strathclyde  

• “Labour market and other wider economy challenges in decarbonising the UK's industry clusters [LAB-CLUSTER]” research taking place with a range of industry and policy partners

Professor Niall MacDowell - Imperial College London 

• “An integrated framework for levelled up & low carbon industrial clusters” with research across all clusters 
• Project partners: DRAX, OGCI