Regional energy plants could receive a boost if a team of researchers in Manchester can successfully formulate a plant to implement localised energy generation.
Dr Megan Jobson from the University of Manchester’s School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science hopes to find a way to combine both heat and electrical power from a central source.
It is believed centralised power sources could make a valuable contribution to improving energy efficiency and cutting CO2 emissions in the UK.
If successful, the distributed energy system would be rolled out at local organisations such as hospitals and schools.
The £795,000 project is being funded by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), which is responsible for developing technologies to help the UK meet its 2050 carbon reduction target.
Researchers will also look into alternative fuel sources such as biofuel and wood mass energy.
Just last month the ETI suggested that up to one tenth of land in the UK could potentially be used to harvest crops for biofuel and biomass purposes.
Developing the UK’s bionenergy market is pushing the demand for specialist machinery such as big bag dischargers, heavy-duty bins, hoppers and en-masse conveyors.