The UK Government has allocated $63.2 million (£51.9 million) to 25 businesses under the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) to reduce carbon emissions and support the nation’s Plan for Change, aimed at economic growth and net-zero emissions by 2050.
This funding spans diverse industries, including food manufacturing, cement production, and glass processing, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said in a statement last week.
Key recipients include Essar Oil UK, Nestlé‘s coffee site in Staffordshire, Heinz‘s Wigan baked bean factory, and Hanson Cement in North Wales.
Essar Oil UK will advance decarbonization at its Stanlow Refinery with two projects.
The $2.2 million-funded Carbon Dioxide Capture Unit (CDCU) will cut emissions by 0.86 million tons annually by capturing 95% of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit through advanced absorption technology.
Another $521,000 grant will be used to retrofit over 30 heaters to burn low-carbon hydrogen, reducing emissions by 0.56 million tons per year.
Relevant: COP29: UK PM Unveils Ambitious 81% Emissions Reduction Target By 2035
Hanson Cement, part of Heidelberg Materials (ETR: HEI), received $6.8 million for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in North Wales. This initiative, expected to capture 800,000 tons of CO2 annually, will also create hundreds of construction jobs.
Other projects include Ultra Tough’s $189,000-funded study to convert furnace waste heat into electricity, reducing gas usage and emissions, and Novelis in Warrington, awarded nearly $17 million to expand recycling capacity, aiming to cut 350,000 tons of carbon emissions.
Overall, the projects represent a $187.8 million investment in emissions-reduction technologies, with businesses funding two-thirds of the costs.
The government has also finalized contracts for the UK’s first carbon capture project in Teesside, advancing its commitment to revitalizing industrial regions and reducing the nation’s carbon footprint.
Read more: Opinion: The UK Government Must Accelerate The Route To Market For CCS Projects
