UK. Alistair Darling launches £500m investment in energy initiative PDF Print E-mail
Monday, 18 September 2006
Government news:


A prospectus, published by the DTI, invites expressions of interest from the private sector and sets out the vision and proposals for the planned Energy Technologies Institute. The Government is offering to commit £500m to the Institute over the next decade and is looking for the same level of commitment from the private sector.

The Institute will be a step change in R&D towards secure, reliable and affordable low carbon energy technologies. It will bring together the public and private sector for a true collaboration which will deliver sustainable and secure energy technologies for the long term.

Trade and Industry Secretary, Alistair Darling, said: "Secure and sustainable energy is of paramount importance to our prosperity and way of life - both now and in the future. We want to meet this challenge by making the UK a world-leader in developing vital new energy technologies. The Energy Technologies Institute is the most important development in UK energy research and innovation for decades.

"By bringing together the efforts and investments of both public and private sectors the Institute will have the potential to make a huge impact. Government is prepared to provide up to half a billion pounds towards the Institute over the next 10 years, and BP, EDF, E.ON UK and Shell have already offered their support.

"I want more companies to come forward and join us in this groundbreaking partnership and be part of this unique venture."

Iain Conn, BP Group Managing Director, said: "BP supports development of secure, clean and reliable energy supplies and is already taking actions in these areas. The Institute will help us share experience and knowledge between public and private sectors to enable development of new technologies."

Vincent de Rivaz, Chief Executive of EDF Energy, said: "EDF Energy is committed to developing sustainable energy solutions on both local and national levels and believes that diversity is the key to maintaining security of supply and tackling climate change. So we are very enthusiastic about contributing to the research into energy technologies and to making the Institute a success."

Dr Paul Golby, Chief Executive of E.ON UK, said: "We're delighted to support the Energy Technologies Institute and have always recognised the importance of developing new technologies to aid the fight against climate change. We are already investigating ways to make our power stations cleaner and technologies that can help reduce the UK's emissions."

Jan van der Eijk, Chief Technology Officer at Royal Dutch Shell plc, said: "Technology and innovation are key to solving the energy challenge faced by the UK and many other countries. Shell is delighted to be partnering with the Department of Trade and Industry in establishing the Energy Technologies Institute. Harnessing public and private sector capability through the new Institute will be a great boost to ensuring clean and sufficient energy for the future."

The DTI is inviting companies to express interest in participating in the Institute by the end of November. A director will be selected to provide day-to-day leadership. It is aimed that the Institute will be fully operational by 2008.

The objectives for the Institute are:

To increase the level of funding devoted to R&D to meet the UK's energy policy goals; To deliver R&D to allow rapid commercial deployment of cost effective, low carbon energy technologies;

To provide better strategic focus for commercially applicable energy related R&D in the UK; To connect and manage networks of the best scientists and engineers to deliver focused energy R&D; and, To build R&D capacity in the UK in the relevant disciplines to deliver the UK's energy policy goals.

Editors note:

A copy of the prospectus can be downloaded at www.dti.gov.uk/science/science-funding/eti.

The intention to create the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) was announced in the Budget on 22 March 2006.

Core funding will be provided on a 50:50 public private partnership basis, with the ambition, when fully operational, to provide £100 million per year for UK-based (non-nuclear) energy research and development.

The DTI is holding an information event for those interested in becoming core industry partners or who are interested in collaborating in the work of the Institute or hosting it. More information on the event can be found at www.dti.gov.uk/science/science-funding/eti

Funding for ETI is a new part of the Government's strong investment framework to speed the deployment of renewable and clean energy technologies. The ETI will build on the Government's existing commitment of £500 million between 2002-2008 to help develop renewables and other low carbon technologies.

The UK's energy policy goals are to:

Put ourselves on a path to cut the UK's CO2 emissions by some 60% by about 2050, with real progress by 2020; Maintain the reliability of energy supplies; Promote competitive markets in the UK and beyond, helping to raise the rate of sustainable economic growth and to improve our productivity; and, Ensure that every home is adequately and affordably heated.

Factsheet on the Energy Technologies Institute

What is for?

A partnership between public and private sectors, bringing together efforts and investments and focussing on key energy technology challenges.

Remit to accelerate the development of secure, reliable and cost-effective low-carbon energy technologies that can be deployed commercially, with sufficient impetus, within about a 10-year timeframe.

The types of technologies that it will work on will have a huge impact on carbon emissions. This is research and development work will deliver benefits for decades to come, in electricity generation, in transport, in energy efficiency and improving our use of energy as consumers.

How will it work?

The Institute will select, commission, fund, manage and undertake programmes of research, in around five sizable areas.

It will target funding at a small number of industrially relevant R&D projects, including R&D in support of demonstration and eventual deployment.

It will be R&D focussed on key technology areas with the greatest promise for deployment and contribution to low carbon, secure energy supplies.

Projects will be selected from within a framework of general energy technology themes, in areas such as cleaner fossil fuels, renewables, energy efficiency and low carbon transport.

The Institute will operate on a "distributed" basis with research activities undertaken at a number of academic institutions/centres of excellence across the UK, to be selected competitively. One of these will provide research facilities and infrastructure for the Energy Technologies Institute Director.

R&D programmes will be carried out in research teams drawn from industry, both large and small, and academia.

Companies of all sizes will be able to participate in the work of the Institute.

As well as increasing the level of funding devoted to energy related R&D and providing a better strategic focus for commercially applicable energy related R&D, the Institute will build R&D capacity in the UK in the relevant technical disciplines.
Last Updated ( Monday, 18 September 2006 )
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