Three British companies have been awarded a share of over £1.3 million to spur on innovation in turning reeds and rushes from wetlands into bioenergy.
Contracts have been awarded to AMW IBERS, Natural Synergies and AB Systems, as part of a Department of Energy and Climate Change competition to help entrepreneurs demonstrate new ways of turning plant-based material derived from harvesting wetlands into renewable heat and electricity.
According to DECC, sustainably sourced bioenergy has an important part to play in the UK’s future energy mix, with the potential to contribute around 11% of the UK’s energy demand by 2020.
The winning companies will use the funding to test their project designs in three wetland areas in the UK, including Somerset, Suffolk and Inverness.
Commenting on the contracts, Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said:
“The ability to turn plant material – that would otherwise have been burned or left to decompose – into a sustainable energy source is an important part of the move towards a low carbon economy.These valuable initiatives will help to bring down the costs of this clean, green technology.”
Dr Faisal Salam and Victoria Melchor, Directors of Natural Synergies Ltd, said the funding from DECC would enable the company to establish a demonstration plant utilising wetland-based biomass as feedstock for developing a sustainable distributed energy system.
Wetland areas are currently maintained in several parts of Britain to provide habitats for a range of wildlife including wading birds, water voles and warblers. The harvested material from the sites can be used to produce energy.
This is the third round of funding issued as part of the Wetland Biomass to Bioenergy competition, which was launched in October 2012 and is scheduled to finish in March 2015. The scheme aims to use plants already being grown and harvested in wetland areas and use them for generating power.
For Phase 3, AB Systems, based in Exeter, have been awarded £92,189; AMW-IBERS, based in Uddington in Glasgow have been awarded £147,407; and Natural Syneries, based in Redcar, have been awarded £187,570.
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