Teesside University to lead Net Zero research projects worth £2m

Teesside University is supporting three businesses in the Tees Valley to deliver ground-breaking innovations which will help establish the region as one of the UK’s leading centres for net zero innovation.

The projects, which together total almost £2m, will see the University working with key employers and stakeholders in the Tees Valley to deliver impactful research to help the region decarbonise and find working solutions to support industry to become more sustainable.

Each of the projects has been supported through Tees Valley Launchpad, a £6m collaborative research and development fund established by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. Tees Valley Launchpad funds outstanding innovation projects led by businesses who are active or growing their work activities in the net zero innovation cluster centred on Tees Valley.

The projects being delivered by Teesside University are:

Carbon Capture Ready: The University will work with filtration engineering company Durham Filtration and with its client Suez to develop technology to accurately measure the composition of flue gas at energy-from-waste sites, thus enabling more efficient carbon capture.

Scaling up brick-binding technology: Building upon previous research with recycling and waste management company Scott Bros Ltd, this project will see the commercialisation and scale-up of a new prototype brick developed from unwanted waste material known as filter-cake. By developing this new product for construction, the project will help divert waste from landfill.

Developing a biocellular production system for biopharmaceuticals: HexisLab Ltd, a company based at Teesside University’s National Horizons Centre, will work with University academics to develop new ways to manufacture high-value biochemicals using organic waste products coming from agricultural and marine waste. In doing so, it will avoid the need to use ingredients from petroleum products and exotic plants, helping to create a circular biomanufacturing process.

The research projects will be carried out through Teesside University’s new £13.1m Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC), a key component of Tees Valley Combined Authority’s regional innovation strategy, which will position Teesside firmly at the heart of the UK’s green industrial revolution.

NZIIC director Gari Harris said: “We are delighted to have won these awards from the Tees Valley Launchpad fund. The fact that these projects represent such a large tranche of the funding demonstrates the impact that the NZIIC is already having, helping this region establish itself at the forefront of the Net Zero agenda.”

Professor Nashwan Dawood, research director at NZIIC, said: “Teesside University is committed to developing solutions to enable a just transition to a Net Zero economy and discovering new ways to forge a smarter, greener industrial economy.

“These projects, which range in scope from developing construction products to energy production to producing sustainable cosmetics, demonstrate the breadth of our research and the innovative ways in which we work with business and industry to help them become more sustainable and take advantage of opportunities for green and sustainable growth.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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