Universities and Innovators
Collaboration opportunities
We are always looking for new ways to collaborate with universities, researchers, and innovators to bring new technologies and ideas into the renewable energy sector.
By partnering with academic institutions and innovation hubs, we ensure that our projects stay at the cutting edge of industry advancements and contribute to the overall development of sustainable energy solutions.
Centres for education
We are encouraging the next generation of innovators to learn from our AD plants, including Open University engineering students, Nuffield Farming scholars, and Young Farmers. Students are welcome to use our plants for their research projects too.
We are currently supporting several initiatives and research projects being undertaken by Exeter University which would make use of our biomethane facilities. These include smart grid research, sustainable town planning and district heating.
Much of the research looks at how towns and cities can be adapted to provide local energy, replacing our dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Local authorities
We have been working with Exeter City to develop its Net Zero strategy – attending roundtable meetings, speaking with councillors, and promoting knowledge sharing between universities, businesses, and local authorities.
New regulations stipulate that housing developments must be designed with sustainability in mind. Our green gas plants could supply district heating schemes for new local housing developments – we are currently collaborating with planners on this project.
In Ireland, we have been advising local authorities on integrating anaerobic digestion practises into sustainable planning and district heating networks. This will provide locally produced green energy while also creating jobs for the community.
Private industries
We always welcome opportunities to collaborate with private industries and businesses. Currently, we are working on many exciting projects that either enhance anaerobic digestion (AD) or make inventive use of the technology:
- Carbon capture technology – Installing exciting new equipment to turn carbon from the AD process into food-grade CO2. This will be used to supply local businesses.
- Digestate dewatering – Taking the organic fertiliser produced by AD facilities and turning it into high-quality fertiliser pellets for horticulture.
- Hydrogen research – Exploring AD’s potential to generate green hydrogen, which can be used for transport or, in future, blended into the power networks.
- Feedstock optimisation – Researching methods to break down the cellular structure of organic feedstock to free up additional energy.
As part of their Low Carbon Devon initiative, we have worked with Plymouth University to explore the untapped potential of AD plants to generate green hydrogen.
Additionally, the University of Surrey are piloting cutting-edge research into how artificial intelligence could be used to optimise AD – we are looking forward to collaborating with the university on this project.
What we can offer
We are always keen to collaborate with universities and other innovative organisations.
If you would like to use our AD plants for research or education, please do get in touch using the form below.