Bisola David
A UK-based initiative, The Energy Catalyst, has awarded over £40 million in grant funding to various pioneering projects in countries such as Nigeria dedicated to leveraging clean energy and facilitating an equitable and inclusive transition to sustainable energy.
The Times reported that this funding was announced by UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai.
This funding is provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, in collaboration with the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, through the Transforming Energy Access platform.
This financial assistance is part of a larger £316 million package, demonstrating the government’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable transition to a sustainable energy landscape.
Sunak went on to say that the £40 million is part of the Ayrton Fund for Clean Energy Innovation stating that “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.
“This allocation demonstrates the UK government’s ongoing commitment to actively support the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies and business models critical to promoting accessible and clean energy globally.”
Sunak went on to say that the £40 million is part of the Ayrton Fund for Clean Energy Innovation stating that “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.
Achelous Energy, which will demonstrate a floating oceanic solar farm in Indonesia, and Ion Venture’s initiative to develop an automatic battery-swapping cabinet, which will contribute to the expansion of e-mobility in Uganda, are among the projects set to receive grant funding and business support.
Energy Catalyst Lead at Innovate UK, Alice Goodbrook, stated, “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.”
