£14m boost for future UK energy research

Three research councils have pledged to provide extra funding worth £14million for future energy research in the UK.The cash will be given to Imperial-based UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) to allow it “to continue to act as the focal point of research” for Britain’s energy industry.
UKERC – which carries out research into sustainable future energy systems and acts as the gateway between the UK and international energy research communities – was established in 2004 and is now in its third phase of support from the Research Councils UK (RCUK).
David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science said: “The UK is a world leader in future energy systems and the need to find new and innovative solutions has never been greater.
“We live in a world of climate change and energy supply challenges but with  ever-increasing demand put on our energy resources. Funding new research is absolutely vital for providing future certainty for the industry.”