The Solent Cluster and partners awarded £750k to decarbonise industry

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Daniel Face

Lord Callanan, minister for energy efficiency and green finance, met with members of The Solent Cluster earlier this year

Almost £750,000 of national funding has been put towards plans to reduce industrial emissions in the Solent.

The Solent Cluster joined project partners in a successful bid to the Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plan competition, run by the government alongside Innovate UK.

Partners have also put in their own funding to bring the project total to over £1 million.

The initiative represents a joint effort between industry and academia, focusing on access to low-carbon hydrogen production, electrification and carbon capture and storage.

Read the March 2024 issue of The Business Magazine, including our feature on net zero

It aims to measure the benefits which could be brought to the region through the creation of additional jobs, investment and economic growth.

The Solent Cluster also plans to evaluate public perception on decarbonisation and identify barriers that need to be overcome.

Anne-Marie Mountifield, chair of The Solent Cluster, said: “The Solent Cluster represents an incredible opportunity for local communities and the wider region to deliver projects that will bring about real change in sustainable energy production and consumption.

“The success of this bid helps to set the cluster on its way to contributing to the UK’s goal of net zero by 2050, while securing local employment, creating new skilled jobs and leveraging private sector investment in the region.”

The news follows a visit from Lord Callanan, minister for energy efficiency and green finance, earlier this year to meet with members of The Solent Cluster who’ll be delivering the project.

Daniel Face

Born and raised in Berkshire, Dan fell into journalism after completing his bachelor’s degree in English at UCL. Writing for The Business Magazine and local Biz News sites has given him the opportunity to chat with all manner of small business owners and share their success stories with a wider audience. Outside of work, Dan enjoys live music, board games and quiz shows, and is making a slow but persistent effort to learn Spanish.