Innovation Zero / May 2023 / Energy Focus

INNOVATION ZERO

Opportunity and New Chances to Grow from London

PRODUCTION: David Hill

Innovationandleadershipinthelowcarbontransformation – this is the mantra at Innovation Zero, a leading global event that is set to seize the reins at the front of the global energy transition. As pressure grows, now is the time for action. Industry leaders from across the world will gather to grow, build, and progress.

INDUSTRY FOCUS: CLEAN TECHNOLOGY

This month, the ever-energetic Arnold Schwarzenegger called for more urgent action around the global climate emergency. Speaking at an event in Austria, he said that lives depend on progress and advancement in the fight against climate crisis. His calls came after the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) announced last year that there was a

66% likelihood of the world breaking targeted 1.5°C temperature increases. Governments, countries, companies, and people have mostly heard the call of the scientific community and have put in place long-erm plans to make fundamental behavioural changes so that emissions, waste, and environmental impact can be minimised for the ongoing health of all.

But aligning the many players has been challenging and, even following the monumental Paris 2015 agreements where the world came together to agree on targets, there has been slow progress.

In London, on May 24-25, a new international clean tech conference will launch - a captivating event that promises to revolutionise the way we approach global challenges through innovation, spearheaded by the UK government and endorsed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Innovation Zero promises a vibrant atmosphere, captivating discussions, and remarkable individuals who are directing the movement towards a sustainable future, there is much enthusiasm about what could come from such a gathering.

2016 was the hottest on record when compared with pre-industrial levels. WMO has revised its expectations again, and is now 98% certain that

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Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister

Isn’t it time you switched to an alternative fuel?

The demand for alternative and renewable fuel sources continues to grow as governments put in place measures to combat climate change – and choosing which fuel to burn has now become an even bigger consideration.

WKE Ltd exists to enable large-scale energy users to significantly reduce their energy costs while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions and tackling the enormous amount of waste that ends up in landfill. Founded in 2019, WKE is backed by specialist private equity investor Gresham House.

Waste-to-pellet company WKE turns materials such as wood, paper, card and non-chlorinated plastics that are destined for landfill into alternative fuel primarily for power plants, cement kilns and steel manufacturers.

WKE’s solid improved recovered fuel (SIRF) pellets perform significantly better than coal and natural gas on carbon emissions, according to a report by management consultant and waste specialist Monksleigh. According to the findings, there are substantial benefits to using SIRF pellets, including that they perform two times better on CO2 emissions than natural gas, and three and a half times better than coal. The pellets are also significantly lower in cost than using coal and natural gas and WKE offers a biomass content of 50% as a minimum.

Ian Jones, CEO at WKE, said: “The results demonstrate that SIRF pellets work particularly well as a substitute to coal, including coking coal, pet coke and industrial coal, in cement kilns, coalfired power stations and steel manufacturing. As a substitute for natural gas, for example in brickmaking, there are also significant benefits.

“The report also shows that the carbon emissions produced in the manufacture of our pellets are considerably lower than sending waste directly to landfill.”

Global energy costs are rising, and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed them up even more. Coupled with Britain’s net-zero ambitions and concerns around our reliance on foreign fossil fuels, there has been a redoubling of efforts to find homegrown greener and cheaper sources.

Jones said: “We’ve seen a significant spike in interest in our SIRF pellets recently, as people wake up to the issues surrounding energy security and look to boost their green credentials.

Another key benefit of our SIRF pellets is that they’re cheaper than coal and gas, as well as being cleaner and greener.

In 2022, WKE began commissioning of the UK’s largest waste pelleting plant, designed to deliver 250k tons per year, in Middlesbrough. WKE has commissioned a bespoke container solution (WWTec SiloadmaX) to load pellets from the plant onto shipping containers and are in the process of loading 25 tonnes of pellets headed for European customers for trials.

WKE will also able to offer bulk shipments of 8,000 tonnes of pellets to international customers by Q4 this year. Two nonEuropean customers are already lined up.

For smaller deliveries, WKE is now able to send pellets in one-tonne bags, mainly for UK customers. So, WKE now has solutions for all offtakers whether they are looking for small, medium or large shipments of SIRF pellets.

Jones continued: “This is an exciting year for us at WKE with pellets being produced and successful trials taking place across the UK and Europe.

“Our pellets offer considerable cost savings, significantly reduced carbon emissions and 50% minimum biomass content. Now is the time to consider alternative fuels as a serious contender to replace fossil fuels and our SIRF pellets can be part of that solution.”

INDUSTRY FOCUS: CLEAN TECHNOLOGY

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this record will be broken before 2027. Reducing the level of green house gas being emitted into the atmosphere is just one element of a much bigger problem. There must be changes in how we grow food, use land, transport goods, and much more. At Innovation Zero, cutting edge ideas will be furthered to address the problem.

An impressive line-up of esteemed attendees from various fields—each contributing their unique perspectives to the discussions ahead – will mix and talk sustainability. The key themes on the agenda include: climate change mitigation, circular economy, clean technology, social impact, emerging technologies,

and finance. The conference aims to bridge the gap between diverse industries, encouraging crosspollination of ideas and solutions. Organisers promise: Innovation is the best weapon in the fight against climate change and we shine the light on new solutions from the energy, transport, industrials, finance and the built environment sectors.

GREEN REVOLUTION

The event Chair is Rt Hon. Dr Liam Fox MP, former Secretary of State for International Trade. He is confident that Innovation Zero will provide a platform for collaboration and evolution.

“We stand together at the start of the next industrial revolution, and it’s green,” he says.

“Our mission is to put the people and businesses together who can scale up the commercialisation of solutions to decarbonise our economy and society.”

One of the vital elements behind the strength of the Innovation Zero is the ability for investors and funders to witness inventive ideas first hand. By pairing originators with growth specialists, the hope is that scale can be achieved quickly.

“We will bring entrepreneurs and SME businesses together with enterprises, funders, trade bodies, and policy makers to accelerate progress and connect UK businesses with international investors to enable trade and collaboration.

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Rt Hon. Dr Liam Fox MP, Event Chair

Proven, Pioneering British Innovation Delivers Powerful Impact

Exciting young climate tech business, Levidian, is displaying its remarkable offerings at Innovation Zero in London. Producing ‘wonder material’ graphene and helping industrial processes to quickly decarbonise, this progressive company is making a mark when it is desperately needed.

Rebecca Zeitlin Marketing Director

At Innovation Zero – the ground-breaking event that will see leading international minds gather in London to map out solutions to global challenges through climate technology – the UK’s own innovative and pioneering thinking will be on display as Levidian showcases its novel system which can produce hydrogen and graphene through the decarbonisation of methane.

Since 2013, Levidian has been creating graphene – often described as a revolutionary material because of its strength, flexibility, resistance, and lightweight nature – and is now busy with R&D projects that could highlight multiple use applications for the carbon-based material. At the same time, the company is marketing its patented LOOP technology – a decarbonisation device designed to accelerate the world’s transition to net zero by clipping into existing operations quickly and simply.

At Innovation Zero, new connections will be made, and new opportunities discussed.

“We want to introduce our technology to people we haven’t spoken to before – that is always important. We want to remind policy makers that British innovation in climate technology exists, and it is not all about huge-scale electrolyser or CCUS projects. There is a lot more out there, and technologies like ours are deployed in the field doing their jobs,” says Marketing Director, Rebecca Zeitlin.

WATCH: A Decarbonised Future

Levidian started life as Cambridge Nano Systems and was heavily focussed on the science behind graphene and its production –stripping carbon from methane (responsible for 25% of global warming). Today, the tech has been containerised and is already proving itself, reducing the CO2 potential of an average business’s natural gas by up to 40% instantly, replacing it with hydrogen, a more sustainable fuel. At Innovation Zero, there will be few able to match this performance.

“We have an innovative technology made here in the UK,” says Zeitlin. “There will be a varied audience and that is good for us given our product line and many different places we can be deployed. We will be able to talk about both LOOP and graphene which is exciting.”

Specific focus will centre on concrete and cement, where Levidian is a key sponsor. CEO John Hartley will present a discussion around innovation in the space. “He will talk on bridging the gap between the challenges we see today and the reality of innovation that will drive change in the future – and the fact that it is already happening. He will also talk about adding graphene to mortar in particular, and the significant benefits we are seeing in our early tests,” promises Zeitlin.

During the event at Olympia London, the underlying message from Levidian will be that innovation and advancement is happening now, and stakeholders have opportunities to get involved with clean technology as it scales to support UK development.

“It’s going to be the flagship climate technology innovation platform and we want to be a part of that,” smiles Zeitlin. “We want to show people how we fit into the complex climate tech eco-system.”

Start a conversation at Innovation Zero Stand G62

Hear John Hartley speak at Scaling Up: Unlocking Cement and Concrete Innovation and Deployment: 15:10 – 16:30, 25.05.23

INDUSTRY FOCUS: CLEAN TECHNOLOGY

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“The climate crisis presents the biggest potential threat to our lifestyle and way of life as we know it but also the greatest business challenge and opportunity of our time.

“Global Britain has the opportunity to lead the clean technology revolution with our world leading businesses universities service sector and dynamic startups,” says Fox.

Importantly, like Prime Minister

Sunak, he views the energy transition as an opportunity and an opening rather than a problem or barrier.

“I am delighted to see such an exciting project choosing London for its inaugural event,” Sunak said. “Innovation Zero beings together trade and investment, finance, energy, and environmental specialists and puts them alongside the best of our innovators and businesses who see decarbonisation as an opportunity, not a problem. It is through creative

thinking and action like this that we will create the jobs and prosperity on which we all depend, while providing the technological solutions to the climate change challenge we all face.”

STELLAR LINE-UP

Two companies that will be present at the conference are Levidian and WKE. Levidian is a UK clean tech innovator developing technology to create hydrogen and graphene from methane, decarbonising and developing a highly useful product at the same time. WKE is a science-based innovator helping industrial clients to reduce energy bills and carbon emissions by creating new fuel sources from waste often destined for landfill. Both companies are relatively young, and both are on strong growth trajectories. Given the chance to scale and partner on national or international projects, these companies alone could have a profound impact on carbon emissions and environmental protection while generating significant financial results at the same time. This

is one of the long-term outcomes for Innovation Zero alongside policy transformation, technological advancements, and cultural shift.

“This is the only event being designed and built to deliver this transition,” says Fox.

Free to attend, with 200 exhibitors, a world-class speaker programme, and a range of unique and intensive focus group sessions, there is sure to be something for everyone, and the knowledge share will be unlike any other event in 2023.

As organisations hunt for opportunities and sparks of positivity, Innovation Zero promises a platform for progress. It is more than just a vehicle for discussions—it is a call to action. By uniting brilliant minds and change makers.

Dr Nina Seega will speak on

behalf of the Centre for Sustainable Finance, CISL. “Innovation Zero has been an amazing platform for bringing together a variety of actors within the financial system, so bringing financial eco systems together with mainstream actors as well,” she says.

Beverley Gower-Jone OBE, CEO at the Clean Growth Fund says: “It’s a great opportunity to meet with other likeminded investors, to meet entrepreneurs who are with their start-up companies looking for funding, but also engage in the wider ecosystem such as corporates, regulators, and supply chain firms, all of whom are on this decarbonisation journey across the myriad of different sectors that it impacts.”

CEO at Aimava and Director at CirculOil, Andrew Gaule is looking forward to the speaker roster. “I

think we’re going to see fantastic speakers, we’re going to have engaging panels where we’re going to hear from people doing really great things, and also the quality of the networking with other participants.”

Now is an important time to further discussions, ideas, and concepts, and if the Terminator himself is voicing concerns over slow progress, it is time to ramp up.

“People, technology, and collaboration will together solve the climate emergency,” concludes Fox.

Join in the discussion online, or register to attend for free here

// THE CLIMATE CRISIS PRESENTS THE BIGGEST POTENTIAL THREAT TO OUR LIFESTYLE AND WAY OF LIFE AS WE KNOW IT BUT ALSO THE GREATEST BUSINESS CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY OF OUR TIME //

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