Scientists at the Energy Safety Research Institute of Swansea University have received a boost to their research into climate change solutions following funding from the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre.
Carbon capture is a climate change mitigation technology where CO2 can be captured directly from industrial operations instead of being emitted into the atmosphere, and Dr Enrico Andreoli and his team at ESRI are researching new materials for carbon capture from industrial processes.
Working in collaboration with the University of Pisa and Immaterial Ltd, ESRI will use the funding of nearly £30,000, to scale up in the laboratory a new material for carbon capture. Plans for these materials to be tested in industrial settings through the £11.5m Welsh Government and ERDF funded Reducing Industrial Carbon Emissions (RICE) project will also be prepared.
The UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC), which is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and is a partnership of eleven UK academic partner institutions, has provided funding for a number of new projects to help the UK achieve its net zero GHG emission targets. The funding will support research covering CO2 capture from industrial sources and follows a series of UKCCSRC industry- and regulator-led workshops to identify gaps where fast-track research projects could make the most impact.
Following the award, Dr Andreoli said:
"We are delighted to have received funding from the UKCCSRC, it is a unique opportunity to demonstrate the lab scale up of the fluorinated MOF, evaluate approaches to monolith manufacturing, and test its dynamic carbon capture performance."
Jeremy Carey, UKCCSRC Board Chair said:
“We're delighted with the high level of industry engagement in these diverse, relatively early-stage projects and are excited to see the impact of the research outcomes.”
Professor Andrew Barron, ESRI Director said:
“The facilities within ESRI and the RICE project allow us to fast track test new materials for carbon capture in order to provide the solutions to meet the particular emissions challenges for each industry.”