Sustainable Technologies
Acutely aware of the need to nurture sustainable technologies for future generations, the SETsquared Partnership is proudly supporting three renewable energy technologies within its Business Acceleration Centres.
All three have attracted considerable interest from the media, investors, the Government and MPs.
SETsquared company Bac2's ElectroPhen bipolar plates
Bac2 has developed ElectroPhenTM, an electrically conductive plastic which can be used to make bipolar plates, key components in fuel cells.
Fuel cells provide clean efficient energy as part of the emerging hydrogen economy, which is seen as the most viable energy technology for tackling increasingly serious concerns over oil and gas supply as well as harmful climate changing emissions caused by burning hydrocarbon fuels.
However, the mass adoption of fuel cells is currently limited by the cost of key components, such as the bipolar plates which make up a large proportion of a fuel cell stack. ElectroPhenTM is ideally suited to easier and lower cost production of conductive composite bipolar plates which conduct electricity, keep the reaction gasses separated and channel away the waste water and heat from the reaction.
Fuel cells are already in commercial use as auxiliary generators and are widely expected to power everything from cars and buses to laptops and mobile phones and even homes and offices in the years to come.
Artist impression of C-Wave technology
C-Wave has developed an innovative, robust wave energy system which can deliver renewable electricity at a price that is competitive with traditional technologies.
Using a unique operating mode, in which floating walls are forced to move relative to one another through the action of waves, it efficiently extracts energy from normal waves and dissipates the forces of storm waves.
Giles Edward, CEO of C-Wave said 'Wave power is a vital part of the UK's contribution to carbon emission reduction, and wave energy farms can provide large-scale renewable electricity from relatively small areas of the sea. Our system is a realistic, affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly source of power to replace some of our soon-to-be decommissioned conventional power stations. We expect to have our first Grid Connected prototype installed in 2008.”
Both Bac2 and C-Wave have received backing from The Carbon Trust
Scale drawing of TGL's tidal turbines
Tidal Generation Limited is developing tidal turbines to generate electricity from tidal flows. Each fully-submerged machine will produce sufficient electricity to power 650 homes.
TGL has a five year technology development programme from prototype through to commercial product, and has recently completed the feasibility phase of the programme.
'We are now commencing the design phase, during which we will test the innovations which have the potential to make our machine a market-leader and make a significant impact on renewable power generation by 2020' said Finance Director Tania Lake. Once complete, TGL will install a £6 million 500kW prototype at the European Marine Energy Centre in the Orkney Islands which will provide enough energy to supply 300 homes.
On the basis of comprehensive techno-economic modeling, TGL believe the device will generate electricity costing 8-9p/kWh for initial farms, falling to 5-6p/kWh when the technology is sufficiently well established for projects to attract competitive interest rates.Studies show the UK could generate up to five per cent of its total energy requirements from tidal energy.
