Alok Sharma announces £37m to make green electric machines

BRITISH business secretary and COP26 president Alok Sharma on Wednesday (4) announced a £36.7 million investment to design, test, and manufacture green electric machines in some of the most polluting industries in the UK.

The announcement comes as the prime minister holds the first meeting of a new Cabinet committee focused on tackling climate change, discussing how the government can go further and faster towards net zero.

A sum of £30m will be used to create four new centres of excellence -based in Newport, Nottingham, Strathclyde, and Sunderland.

The new centres will bring together climate change pioneers to research and develop green electric machines, including planes, ships, and cars.

The network of the centres will specialise in researching and developing technologies to electrify transport.

Each centre will propel UK manufacturing to the forefront of global efforts to tackle climate change and ensure the UK can reach net zero emissions by 2050.

A further £6.7m will be awarded to 14 projects that will help ensure the final buyer in supply chains, such as large automotive manufacturers, can access the parts and components they need to develop electric machines with ease.

This investment will have applications for electric vehicles, as well as other industries, including rail, marine, aerospace and energy -- all with the aim of switching away from fossil fuel technologies.

Sharma said: “The electric revolution is an opportunity for our transport sectors to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels.

“The UK is leading the way in developing cleaner technologies to help us reach our target of zero emissions by 2050 and these new centres will play an important part in that.”

Over 30 partner research and technology organisations will be a part of the industrialisation centres.

The network will be headed up by lead partner Newcastle University, along with 21 other universities from around the UK, over 13 research and technology organisations – and will be essential in attracting both foreign direct investment and new, innovative entrants into the space.