Offshore wind solutions business are among 37 companies sharing £19m (€21m) to boost to develop new technologies that will decarbonise UK industry, build home-grown energy supplies and help prepare the country for a net zero future.
The Energy Entrepreneurs Fund cash is to drive forward innovations to reduce carbon emissions, develop clean energy and improve energy efficiency in people’s homes.
The winning projects include Cornwall-based Inductive Power Projection, which will use their £444,080 funding to develop an innovative high-frequency wireless charging demonstrator to power floating offshore wind autonomous ‘robotic’ drones, to inspect and maintain offshore wind farms.
Jet Engineering System Solutions, based in the south-east, received £255,754 to develop a 5G floating network enabling high-speed, dependable long-range communications at sea to aid wind farm installation.
UK Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero Grant Shapps said: “The UK is a nation of innovators, and this funding will help the next generation of energy pioneers develop cheap and green technologies of the future.
“This will not only deliver more green jobs and cheaper energy but also create world-leading solutions to help us reach net zero and economic growth.”
James Thomas, chief executive of Jet Engineering System Solutions, said: “EEF funding support is an incredibly valuable step for JET in our innovation deployment roadmap, facilitating a major trial of our 5G base station platforms. We are looking forward to getting started with the project R&D and making the most of the support of the Government throughout.”