Project to boost the capture and conversation of greenhouse gases given £20,000 grant
Research that looks to use super catalysts to capture and convert greenhouse gases into value-added chemicals that could help the world combat climate change has been awarded a Commercialisation for University Research (ICURe) grant.
The ICURe is a three to four-month discovery programme designed funded by Innovate UK. ICURe trains, funds, and supports teams led by university early-career researchers (ECRs) to determine whether there is a market for products or services that utilise their research, science, or technology.
The £20,000 grant will allow the University of Surrey’s Catalysis-Engineering team to investigate how stable thermal catalysts can improve the conversion efficiency of greenhouse gases in industry. The team will also use the grant to research low-cost, highly selective powder-based catalysts for dry reforming of methane (DRM) reactions.
The Catalysis-Engineering team’s successful grant was made possible with the support of the Surrey Centre for Innovation and Commercialisation (SCIC). The SCIC helps guide researchers from the University of Surrey to make their research ideas into commercial reality.
Dr Tomás Ramírez Reina, Head of the University of Surrey’s Catalysis-Engineering Unit, said:
“I am delighted to have been awarded a grant from ICURe; this will aid the team to explore the commercial potential of our research and to pursue innovative solutions to decarbonise the chemical industry and produce synthetic gas in a more efficient manner. We really appreciate the support SCIC has provided; they have helped us to expand our research horizons and engage with industrial partners in this exciting venture.”
Miss Qi Zhang from the University of Surrey’s Catalysis-Engineering Unit said:
“This funding allows us to implement our technology in commercial reactors and seek the potential future collaboration with companies in industry. We believe the ICURe award represents the first step of our project’s journey to get into technology commercialisation, and we could get some valuable feedback and industrial data by using this grant. I am also extremely grateful for the professional guidance and assistance provided by SCIC, and I look forward to working with them in the upcoming months.”
Mr Peter Zhang, Co-Director of the SCIC, said:
“I am delighted that SCIC, which launched just six months ago, has helped colleagues across the University of Surrey secure four ICURe grants. There are so many great research ideas and projects throughout the University of Surrey, and we are hopeful in helping many of them start their journey towards commercialisation in 2022.”
