Exergy3 will use the funding to support its trial of a “decarbonisation machine,” which uses a modular energy storage system to harness excess renewable energy from the National Grid. According to the company, its machine can replace up to 100% of the fossil fuels used in high temperature industrial processes. 

The funding was awarded as part of the UK Government’s £55m Industrial Fuel Switching Competition, a part of the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP).

The team at Exergy3 has also benefited from the support of Scottish Enterprise in a £400,000 investment, and £200,000 from a high growth spinout program. 

“This is a fantastic example of research being taken out of the University, with the support of the University, Scottish and UK innovation ecosystem, to help meet a real-world challenge,” said Dr John Lonsdale, head of enterprise at Edinburgh Innovations.

The decarbonisation machine is able to hold 36 megawatt hours (mWh) of energy, one mWh being able to power a family home for over a month. It does this on a footprint no bigger than the size of a 40-foot shipping container, which makes it easy to transport and install on site. 

“Our system charges quickly, can store more energy at higher temperatures than other systems, with less thermal energy loss, and is easily transported and installed with minor disruption of the user’s site,” said Markus Rondé, CEO of Exergy3. 

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“In my view, this technology is a game changer in the race to net zero, as we believe that we will be able to offer a commercially viable pathway to decarbonisation to industrial energy users within the next few years,” he said. 

A trial of the machine is now set to be used at the Annandale Distillery in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

“Our distillery is on a journey towards net zero. Being able to raise all of the steam we need via green electricity would be a massive step forward for us, and for the Scotch whisky industry as a whole. We look forward to partnering with Exergy3 on delivering this really important project,” said David Thomson, co-owner of Annandale Distillery.