UK projects aim to reduce waste and improve energy efficiency
Eight innovative new projects aim to transform the sustainability of the UK’s foundation industry companies and supply chains. The projects have secured a combined £24 million of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding for industrially scaled demonstrator projects through the transforming foundation industries (TFI) challenge.
The competition, delivered by Innovate UK, ran from January to March this year, following an expression of interest phase at the end of 2021. The opportunity forms part of the TFI challenge’s work to fund research and development projects that demonstrate future technologies, capable of addressing the resource or energy efficiency challenges.
Applicants were also required to show cross-sector and collaborative elements, with significant industry investment and opportunities.
Successful projects
A total of eight projects were successful in their applications, with extra funding being made available due to the strength of the project proposals.
Successful projects include European Metal Recycling Ltd’s project: reducing embedded carbon through transformation in foundation industries (RECTIFI). This will demonstrate novel materials handling and separation techniques to increase the quality of scrap for a more circular supply chain in the steel industry, also reducing emissions and exported waste.
A second project is led by Carbon Upcycling Technologies UK. This is an award-winning Canadian startup, which will demonstrate a solution that converts local low-grade, contaminated glass cullet into high-performance feedstocks for the cement industry.
As well as capturing carbon dioxide from cement plant emissions, the project will help reduce cement requirements in concrete mix through superior strength and durability performance.
The other winners include projects tackling issues that include:
- sensor technology
- heat and hydrogen production
- bio-based resins
- a range of waste re-use opportunities between different foundation industries.
New innovations
Bruce Adderley, Challenge Director for the TFI challenge, said: “Underpinned by circular economy thinking the foundation industries and their supply chain partners are bringing forward a range of new innovations as they move towards a sustainably competitive future. But these need to be demonstrated at scale if they are to be rapidly deployed in the UK, and taken to international markets.
“That is why we are delighted to be able to support these projects, which have huge potential to address decarbonisation through inter-industry collaboration focused on resource and energy efficiency.”
