A total of 25 businesses across the UK have shared nearly £52 million in government grants to reduce emissions, as part of the nation’s net zero decarbonisation drive.
The funding awarded is part of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), a government fund that supports the development and deployment of technologies that enable businesses with high energy use to transition to a low carbon future.
Grants to reduce emissions have been awarded to, for example, Nestlé’s coffee processing site in Staffordshire, Heinz’s baked bean factory in Wigan, and Verdant Brewing, which is a specialist craft beer company based in Cornwall. Grants are being used to support projects such as the installation of heat pumps and carbon capture technology.
In several cases, the grants to reduce emissions are complimentary to sustainability investment commitments by the companies themselves.
Heinz, which received over £2.5 million and invested nearly £5 million of its own funding in the factory project, aims to switch its dependence on fossil fuels for heating water which is needed to blanch beans and boil spaghetti hoops. By installing heat pumps that reuse waste heat from other processes in the factory, the manufacturer aims to improve energy efficiency to cut emissions and bills for its business.
Elsewhere, Hanson Cement in north Wales will use its £5.6 million grant to support its multi-million-pound carbon capture and storage project.
Minister for industry Sarah Jones said: “Helping businesses of all sizes to reduce their emissions is core to our ‘Plan for Change’ to achieve net zero while growing the economy.
“These companies represent some of the best of business innovation – using new technologies to improve how we do things, become more sustainable, and continue to make the British products we love – from baked beans to beer.”
Warrington-based Novelis has also received nearly £14 million to expand its recycling capacity – part of an already planned £63 million project to reduce the company’s carbon emissions by over 350,000 tonnes.
Saji Jacob, head of west Europe supply chain at Heinz, said: “The IETF has enabled this energy efficiency project to become a reality at our largest food manufacturing plant in Europe.
“It represents a critical step in our decarbonisation journey towards net zero. The UK business recognises the significance of the investment and is committed to further utilising this technology across our company.”
Read more about how the government is engaging with retail on net zero
[Image credit: Green Retail World]
