Zero Carbon Energy
Biomass
Hydrogen
Nuclear
Renewables
Battery technology and energy storage
Smart grid technology
Biomass
Biomass is currently the second largest source of renewable energy in the UK, generating 12.9% of UK electricity supply in 2021. When combined with carbon capture and storage, biomass has the potential to deliver negative emissions.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is essential to delivering a carbon free energy sector. As the manufacturing heartland of the UK, the Midlands has the experience and capacity to address the necessary inputs for hydrogen production and delivering net zero.
Nuclear
The government’s Energy Security Strategy plans to significantly accelerate nuclear generating capacity to 24GW by 2050. This represents 25% of projected electricity demand. The Midlands contains a number of world class centres of research excellence, leading on the development of new nuclear technology.
Renewables
Electricity demand is projected to double by 2050 and this, combined with carbon reduction targets, means a four-fold increase in clean electricity generation is needed. With 19% of England’s total installed renewable capacity, the Midlands is already helping to shape the future of our energy systems.
Battery technology and energy storage
The Midlands’ low carbon economy is worth £12 billion and growing. The region hosts a number of research centres dedicated to driving the transition to net zero.
Smart grid technology
The Midlands accounts for one-sixth of Great Britain’s electrical and gas demand. The scale of the region’s energy use alongside world class energy technology research capabilities, means the Midlands is uniquely placed to become a model smart energy region.
Invest in
Zero Carbon Energy with a university the Midlands
For over a century, the Midlands has pioneered new ways of generating energy for homes, businesses, schools and hospitals.
Innovation has powered this extraordinary legacy of industrial impact; and it is innovation provided by the universities, companies and cities of the Midlands that will ensure our region continues to lead the way to a decarbonised energy sector.
00
%
of all energy and low carbon jobs in England are based in the Midlands
00
%
of the renewable energy generated in the Midlands comes from solar power
0,000
academics and researchers
View our Zero Carbon Energy Prospectus.
DownloadLeading Zero Carbon Energy assets include:
Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology at Loughborough University
The Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST) is changing how we think and learn about renewable energy. Armed with facilities across solar power, wind energy, and energy storage, CREST also provides innovative training opportunities, like its long distance course. Work with the Centre to develop and realise projects across the renewable energy sector.
Energy Innovation Centre at the University of Warwick
Warwick Manufacturing Group’s extensive, multi-disciplinary capabilities extend right across the value chain from raw materials to industrial application to endof-life. This national facility can test, develop, and scale up battery technologies from concept to production, helping you meet your application ambitions at scale.
Hydrogen at Keele University
Keele University hosts both HyDEX and HyDeploy. HyDEX, a three year programme with eight universities in collaboration with the Energy Research Accelerator, aimed to address the challenge of building a thriving new business, industrial and manufacturing sector in hydrogen. HyDeploy is a collaboration between Keele University and industrial partners including Northern Gas Networks and Cadent. Together these programmes are at the forefront of creating a hydrogen economy you can be a part of.
Supergen Bioenergy Hub at Aston University
The Bioenergy Hub will increase biomass production in the UK by accelerating current generation technologies and developing new ones. Working with the Hub gives businesses access to funding, partners like Uniper and the Department for Transport, and insight to developments across the bioenergy sector.
Tyseley Energy Park and the University of Birmingham
Tyseley Energy Park is working with the University of Birmingham and partners to create an energy and waste nexus for the city of Birmingham. Together, they will shape the way the City of Birmingham develops infrastructure for renewable heat and power, energy storage, clean transport fuels in combination with advanced waste processing, an opportunity to put innovative businesses and technologies into action.
UK Battery Industrialisation Centre
The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), located in Coventry, is the national battery manufacturing scale-up facility. UKBIC is a £130 million, 20,000m2 pioneering facility, which provides the missing link between battery technology at laboratory or prototype scale, through to successful mass production. UKBIC is a key part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, a UK Government programme to fast-track the development of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries. It will be a critical partner for any business looking to develop and deploy new battery technologies without shouldering the capital outlay themselves.
Redefining how universities and industry work together
Through co-location, joint research and technology demonstrator initiatives, Midlands universities are redefining how academia works in partnership with industry. Midlands universities have longstanding relationships with global companies such as Rolls-Royce and Siemens.
They have also provided hundreds of millions of pounds in support, grants, and expertise to SMEs working in the Midlands’ extensive zero carbon supply chain; and they have supported entrepreneurs developing new spin-out companies, products and concepts that will shape a zero carbon future.
With over 1,500 academics and researchers working in energy-related fields across our universities, the Midlands region also hosts national facilities developed in partnership with the UK Government and industry.
Our industrial heritage and track record of innovation and partnership between universities, government and businesses mean that we will be at the cutting edge of the energy transition.
How we can help
We are the UK’s first University Investment Concierge Service - helping provide a navigation and connection service for investors seeking to work with our region’s universities. We work in partnership with the region’s cluster organisations, industry bodies, innovation eco-system and growth agencies. We also connect and receive opportunities from local, regional and national government. And our promise is simple: to help connect international investors and companies to our universities – and to promote our region’s universities to the world.
