Carbon Trust, Mitsui Babcock in business JV

London — The Carbon Trust is going commercial with the launch of a joint venture called Connective Energy, with Mitsui Babcock Energy Ltd and Triodos Renewables. The venture will be “the first of many” commercial businesses to be formed with a remit to cut carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies, according to the Carbon Trust.

Connective Energy, which is part of a newly formed subsidiary, called Carbon Trust Enterprises, will capture industrial waste heat at source and transfer it as steam or hot water to other local industrial or public sector consumers, the Carbon Trust stated.

According to the agency, the JV will identify, develop, finance and operate the pipeline infrastructure required to capture and transfer the heat. Mitsui Babcock will supply steam generating technology, technical knowledge and expertise to the venture, while Triodos Renewables is a leading ethical bank.

Around 45% of the UK’s industrial primary energy consumption is released as heat into the environment, 40TWh of which could be re-used, the Carbon Trust estimates. This, it said, represents a potential annual market of £1 billion and carbon savings of 7.5 million tonnes CO2e.

“Connective Energy will be the first of several businesses that we plan to roll out,” according to Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust. These, he said, will include a venture to help businesses in the food and drink sectors to reduce waste, energy costs and emissions by converting production waste into electricity and heat.

“Connective Energy is part of our strategy to invest in and develop environmentally sound energy technologies and solutions. It is exciting to be exploring this market, not least as our launch comes weeks after Government highlighted the need for efficient energy use in its Energy Review,” added Iain Miller, chief operating officer, Mitsui Babcock.

The Carbon Trust is an independent company set up by Government to help the UK meet its climate change obligations, via carbon emission reduction through energy efficiency, carbon management, and investment.