Wales invests £34 million into low carbon research programme
Elaine Brass
6th October 2009
The Welsh Assembly Government has announced a £34 million research programme to help the nation meet its targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
The Low Carbon Research Institute (LCRI) Convergence Energy Programme, which is being led by Cardiff University and backed by five other Welsh universities, aims to exploit the knowledge already present at those universities, thereby helping industry develop new commercially-viable low carbon products, technologies and services.
As part of the programme, ground-breaking research projects will get underway in areas such as solar energy for heating buildings, hydrogen for powering transport, power generation using biomass and photovoltaic (PV) technology to generate electricity. The programme will also undertake cutting-edge research to develop zero carbon buildings and marine renewable energy sources.
Launching the programme, First Minister Rhodri Morgan, said: "Wales has a vital role to play in tackling global environmental changes. This programme will place Wales at the forefront of industry led research to achieve more affordable low carbon energy, improve energy efficiency from a range of sources and reduce energy demand across all sectors.”
The Wesh Assemby said it expected the programme to create new job opportunities and contribute to reducing Wales' carbon dioxide emissions by three per cent per annum from 2011 and ensuring that all new buildings are zero carbon by the same year. It said it would also help the nation become self-sufficient in renewable energy by 2025.
The six-year programme, which starts in December, is being backed by the six universities – Cardiff, Glyndwr, Bangor, Swansea, Aberystwyth and Glamorgan – and the private sector to the tune of £19 million. A further £15 million is coming from the Convergence European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Assembly Government.
Professor Phil Jones, head of Cardiff University's Welsh School of Architecture and chair of the Low Carbon Research Institute (LCRI) said: "The LCRI Convergence Energy Programme is a unique collaboration of Welsh Universities partnering local industries to provide a comprehensive cross disciplinary energy research base to support the Welsh Assembly Government's low carbon policies. It will significantly add to the LCRI's research capacity to establish Wales as an international leader in low carbon research."