The Energy Catalyst, an initiative in the United Kingdom, has allocated over £40 million in grant funding to various pioneering projects across countries including Nigeria dedicated to leveraging clean energy and facilitating an equitable and inclusive transition to sustainable energy.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced this funding during Dubai’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).
This funding is being provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office through the Transforming Energy Access platform, along with the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology.
Freelanews learns that this financial support is part of a comprehensive £316 million package, underscoring the commitment to fostering an inclusive and fair transition towards a sustainable energy landscape.
What he said
Sunak added that the £40m is part of the Ayrton Fund for clean energy innovation.
He also explained saying,
“Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst program has awarded over £40 million in grant funding to a range of innovative projects with plans to harness clean energy and enable a just and inclusive energy transition”.
He highlighted that the £40 million is sourced from the Ayrton Fund dedicated to clean energy innovation.
This allocation underscores the ongoing commitment of the UK Government to actively support the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies and business models essential for promoting accessible and clean energy worldwide.
Among the projects set to receive grant funding and business support are Achelous Energy, showcasing a floating oceanic solar farm in Indonesia, and Ion Venture’s initiative to develop an automatic battery-swapping cabinet, contributing to the expansion of e-mobility in Uganda.
Energy Catalyst Lead at Innovate UK, Alice Goodbrook said,
“We are proud to see Energy Catalyst scale effectively to meet this increasingly urgent challenge and we look forward to working collaboratively with all the innovators being supported through this latest round.”
“The breadth of technologies and regions represented signifies a crucial step towards achieving a more sustainable and equitable future, extending the benefits of clean energy for all. “
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
