Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : 43rd Universal Periodic Review – Statement on Israel [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 May 2023.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement at Israel’s UPR at the Human Rights Council.

Thank you, Mr President. Let me welcome the Deputy Attorney General and the Israeli delegation.

Israel has taken positive steps since its last review, including decreasing the number of Palestinian children in military detention and granting more access permits to Palestinians.

Israel is celebrating its 75th birthday, 75 years as a democratic state, with a thriving civil society – one of its great strengths. So, we encourage Israel to protect civil society organisations.

We recommend Israel:

1) Reverse its policy of settlement expansion in the OPTs, including in East Jerusalem, and the decision by the Knesset in March to allow re-settlement in four locations in the northern West Bank.

2) Cease the appropriation of private Palestinian lands and the demolition of Palestinian properties.

3) Provide a clear and transparent process for construction for Palestinians in ‘area C’ and in East Jerusalem.

May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : 43rd Universal Periodic Review – Statement on United Arab Emirates [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 May 2023.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement at United Arab Emirates’ UPR at the Human Rights Council.
Let me welcome the Minister and her team to Geneva and commend her country’s work to advance the rights of women, including their political and economic participation. We also recognise the UAE’s efforts to foster tolerance and build interfaith understanding, as well as their role in regional stability.

We recommend that the UAE:

Implement existing laws to ensure detainees are informed of all charges against them and of their rights to a translator and legal representation; to inform someone known to the detainees of their whereabouts; and to investigate immediately and impartially if a complaint about the detainees’ treatment is made.

Guarantee the rights to freedom of opinion, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, in line with international human rights law.

Ensure the political independence of its National Humans Rights Institute and its full compliance with the Paris Principles.

Thank you.
May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New UK funding to boost education opportunities for women and girls in Southeast Asia [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 May 2023.

At the 2023 Education World Forum the International Development Minister launched a Girls’ Education and Skills Programme following the UK-ASEAN Plan of Action.
- new support will provide around 100,000 women and girls with access to education and training in Southeast Asia
- the programme will boost female employment in sectors such as data analysis and technology
- this comes as the UK hosts the world’s largest gathering of education ministers in London at the Education World Forum
A new UK funded programme will offer some of the most marginalised women and girls in Southeast Asia a better future by boosting access to a quality education.

Funding will go towards improving the quality of education for women and girls by prioritising teaching basic reading and maths skills to unlock their full potential.

The programme will expand women and girls’ access to digital and technical education – focusing on what skills are needed to gain employment in high-skill sectors such as technology and manufacturing.

It will also promote the inclusion of remote and minority communities, urban poor and children with disabilities by setting up disability assessments to identify additional needs and medical referrals for eye tests.

International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell will announce the funding at the Education World Forum (EWF) conference in London today, the largest international gathering of education ministers.

Minister for Development Andrew Mitchell said:

Greater gender equality brings freedom, boosts prosperity and strengthens global security. Countries can’t develop if half the population are held back from fulfilling their full potential.

This means working in partnership with countries to provide a quality education for all with a focus on girls to address the barriers they face including violence, poverty, harmful gender norms and climate change.

We’re working with partners across Southeast Asia to tackle the learning crisis and improve education and future employment opportunities of women and girls to ensure a prosperous future.

Around 140 million children in Southeast Asia experienced loss of education due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is made worse by low quality schooling, learning poverty, limited access to schools in rural areas, education that fails to equip students with workplace skills and girls dropping out of school because of early marriage.

In the ASEAN region, girls make up a larger proportion of out of-school children at primary level. This limits opportunities in later life and increases the risks of facing early marriage, young pregnancy and poverty.

The new UK funding of £30 million will address these barriers to education for the 1.2 million girls threatened with permanent school drop-out through cost-effective measures such as merit-based scholarships, girls clubs and catch up classes to ensure children stay in school.

UK expertise will help schools improve the quality of teaching through lesson planning and in-class support so more children are able to read and understand a short story by the age of 10 years old. This means the programme will directly support progress towards the UK’s commitments for 40 million more girls in school and 20 million more girls reading.

The 5-year programme is the first in a series of new ASEAN-UK programmes designed to deliver on UK commitments as a dialogue partner and is further evidence of the UK’s renewed effort to prioritise educating girls as set out in the Women and Girls Strategy.

It is part of the UK’s effort to improve effectiveness of education and follows the recently announced Scaling Access and Learning in Education programme to help get an additional 6 million girls around the world into school.

The UK also launched a new report with the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel and World Bank on ‘Cost Effective Approaches to Improve Global Learning’, which builds on the importance of early childhood education and provides recommendations covering health, nutrition and socio-emotional development.
May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Dangerous driver, John Frazer Yates, has prison sentence extended [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 9 May 2023.

Dangerous driver who killed another motorist before fleeing the scene has prison term increased after sentence was referred under Unduly Lenient Sentencing scheme.

John Frazer Yates (28), of no fixed abode, has had his original prison term quashed and will now serve 11 years and three months in jail after the Court of Appeal determined his initial sentence was unduly lenient.

The court heard that at just after midnight on 15 November 2022, Yates was travelling northbound on the M6 motorway, between junction 20 and 21.

Temporary roadworks, which had a speed limit of 50 mph, forced Yates to move into a single lane of traffic. But due to the excessive speed Yates was travelling at, which experts calculated to be 128 mph, he collided with a vehicle driven by a third party before hitting Christopher Smith’s car.

Yates got out of his car and fled the scene, leaving his victim for dead. He was arrested several hours later and refused to provide his details or a breath sample. Once Yates was taken to the hospital, he failed to provide a blood sample.

The Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

John Frazer Yates was travelling at dangerously excessive speeds and through his reckless actions caused the tragic death of another motorist. The offence was aggravated by him callously fleeing the scene not thinking he would be picked up by the CCTV cameras.

I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to Christopher Smith’s family and I welcome the court’s decision to extend Yates’ sentence in what were truly tragic circumstances.

Yates pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and failing to provide a sample. He was sentenced to eight years and three months at Chester Crown Court on 20 January 2023. Yates was also banned from driving for 12-and-a-half years.

His sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal for being unduly lenient and on Thursday 20 April, the court increased Yates sentence to 11 years and three months.

May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Asset recovery and combatting corruption – UK statement to the OSCE [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 May 2023.

Justin Addison (UK Delegation to the OSCE) tells OSCE’s Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation Group that Russia’s invasion shows the threat posed to our societies by kleptocracies.

Thank you, Mr Chair, and my thanks to the Finnish Delegation for starting this cycle of Mediterranean Partners meetings with this important topic.

The UK recognises that corruption and illicit finance threaten national security and prosperity and undermine democracy and open societies.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought into sharp relief the threat posed to our societies by kleptocracies, and highlighted the need to reinforce our response to illicit finance both at home and overseas. Last year saw the UK Government introduce the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act to tackle foreign criminals using UK property to launder money and enhance sanctions enforcement; and we established the Combating Kleptocracy Cell.

In this regard, the UK is also fully committed to recovering and returning corruptly-obtained assets. This must be done in accordance with legal due process, which can take time, but ensures a fully fair and transparent process.

In 2021 the UK launched the new Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime, allowing the Government to impose asset freezes and travel bans on those involved in serious corruption around the world. In recent years we have brought in additional civil powers, such as Unexplained Wealth Orders, to require a person to explain the sources of their wealth, and Interim Freezing Orders, which allow the freezing of assets while investigation is ongoing.

Mr Chair, we need international action so that the major financial centres are making reforms in tandem. Otherwise illicit finance will just ‘displace’, from jurisdictions with high transparency and effective law enforcement, to areas with poor transparency and law enforcement.

We encourage all participating States to give due consideration to civil measures, and to recognise UK civil orders where possible. This gives law enforcement a further tool to tackle criminal assets.

Finally, we are determined to ensure that Russia is made to pay for the damage it has caused in Ukraine. The UK Government is considering all possible options for seizing Russian-linked assets in the UK that could be used to pay for reconstruction in Ukraine. Any policy must be safe, robust and compliant with the rule of law.

Thank you.

May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : 43rd Universal Periodic Review – UK statement on Montenegro [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 May 2023.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement at Montenegro’s UPR at the Human Rights Council.
Thank you, Mr President. Let me welcome the Minister and your team to Geneva.

Let me start by paying tribute to Montenegro’s role in this Council and welcome its progress in tackling organised crime as well as improvements to the legislative framework on more stringent penalties for attacks and threats against journalists.

We encourage Montenegro to address outstanding recommendations on accountability of the judiciary and to establish a track record for the implementation of anti-corruption law.

We recommend Montenegro:

Strengthen mechanisms to improve access to justice, including for victims of gender-based violence, and ensure prompt independent investigation of all complaints of police ill-treatment, and amend the Criminal Code to align with the Convention against Torture.

Ensure effective implementation of laws in the fight against corruption.

Improve application of the legal framework on the protection of journalists.

Thank you.
May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : What the Prime Minister’s Primary Care Recovery Plan means for you [May 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 May 2023.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to improve access to primary care.

“Being able to get a GP appointment when you need one is vitally important to families and communities across the country, so we must modernise the way primary care works to keep up with patient demand and help to cut NHS waiting lists.

Today, we’re launching a radical plan to improve access to primary care.

This is how the measures will affect you.

We’re getting rid of the 8am rush for GP appointments

I know how frustrating it is to be stuck on hold to your GP practice when you need an appointment for a common illness.

We will end the 8am rush by making sure patients are either given an appointment immediately when they call, or signposted to a more appropriate service such as NHS 111 or their local pharmacy.

You will no longer be told to call back later.

You can get prescription medication directly from a pharmacy, without a GP appointment

For the first time ever, patients who need prescription medication will be able to get it directly from a pharmacy, without a GP appointment, for things like earache, sore throat, or urinary tract infections.

This also extends to contraception. Now women will no longer have to speak to a nurse or GP to get the oral contraceptive pill – it will be available direct from their local pharmacy.

There will be more GP appointments available to you

By expanding the role of pharmacies, fewer people will need to see their GP in the first place.

Today’s plans are expected to free up around 15 million GP appointments over the next two years for patients who need them most.

Which means the next time you want to see your GP, you should be able to do so quicker.

You’ll be able to access your medical records on the NHS app

The new plan will give you better access to your own medical records.

Within the next year 90% of people will be able to access their GP records, including test results, on the NHS app within the next year.

This plan is personal to me, I grew up in an NHS family and I’m passionate about making sure you get access to the best medical attention, when you need it.

This bold and innovative package of measures will significantly change how the NHS works for the better not least for GPs and pharmacies, but above all you – whose day-to-day experience of healthcare will be significantly enhanced by this new service.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Blue lights, green energy – £77 million for new zero-emission vehicle projects [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 9 May 2023.

The schemes will support more than 4,400 jobs across the UK over the next decade, from Bath to Ballymena.
More than £77 million in joint Government and industry funding to develop zero-emission vehicles including fire engines and ambulances

Projects expected to support more than 4,400 jobs across the UK over the next decade, delivering the government’s priority to grow the UK economy

Innovations in clean engine technology, for zero-emission buses and to overhaul EV factory productivity also get backing

Life-saving emergency services will benefit from greener zero-emission vehicles, thanks to £77 million in new funding for projects developing clean transport technologies, announced today.

The HYER POWER project, to develop a hydrogen fuel-cell range extender for specialist electric vehicles in demanding roles like fire engines and ambulances, is just one of seven pieces of work across the UK that are getting joint Government and industry backing.

The schemes, which range from work on battery-powered buses, to a hydrogen-powered version of the iconic Ford Transit van, will support more than 4,400 jobs across the UK over the next decade, from Bath to Ballymena.

Investing in the development of cutting-edge technologies in key industries will help deliver on the government’s priority to grow the UK economy.

Industry and Economic Security Minister Nusrat Ghani said:

Zero-emission cars, vans and taxis are increasingly common, but this cutting-edge work is going to mean clean, green vehicles designed and built in the UK can increasingly take on the toughest jobs too, from life-saving emergency services, to haulage and public transport.

Our automotive industry keeps setting the pace globally and seizing the potential of new technologies. Today’s multi-million-pound boost will help them stay ahead of international competition, while delivering on our priority to grow the economy and support high-quality jobs.

The funding has been awarded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) Collaborative Research and Development programme, in support of ambitions to build an end-to-end supply chain for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the UK. £38.4 million of this investment comes from Government, backed by a further £38.7 million from the automobile industry – taking today’s total to just over £77 million.

Joint government and industry funding winners are:

HYER POWER – ULEMCO Ltd £7.9 million backing to develop a hydrogen fuel cell range extender for electric vehicles used for specialised and challenging purposes, such as ambulances, fire engines and street sweepers.

HEIDI – Bramble Energy Ltd £12.7 million for work to demonstrate a novel fuel cell/battery hybrid powertrain on a double-decker bus, that will be cheaper than the equivalents currently available for large vehicles.

FCVGEN2.0 – Ford Motor Company Ltd £16.3 million awarded to design and develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered version of the Ford Transit van, which will initially be produced at Ford Dagenham.

NEXTGENZEBS – Wrightbus £12.7 million backing for new, market-leading technology to underpin battery and fuel cell electric buses.

EleVAIT – JLR Receiving £12.6 million to design and develop technology for inverters – a key component in electric vehicles, supporting the continued growth of a UK-based electric vehicle supply chain.

CAVENDISH – BorgWarner Awarded £9.8 million for work to speed up the rollout of hydrogen-burning internal combustion engines, as an alternative to diesel, for use in heavy-duty settings.

ZETTA – Leyland Trucks Ltd A £5.1 million investment. By better use of automation and advanced testing, Leyland Trucks aim to increase productivity and step up their production of battery electric trucks.

Chief Executive at the APC Ian Constance said:

Investment into these seven collaborative projects continues the work that the UK does very well. Research and development, building the automotive supply chain, pushing the boundaries of clean technology for the road, whilst securing jobs across the country. I’m pleased to have well-known brand names among this £77 million funding round through the APC, as well as innovative SMEs bringing through exciting new developments.

Today’s announcement comes on top of funding also being invested by the government through the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) to develop a high-value end-to-end electrified automotive supply chain in the UK.

This includes unlocking private investment in gigafactories, battery material supply chains, motors, power electronics, and fuel cell systems. The ATF is being delivered by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the APC.

The government has committed a record £211 million to battery research and innovation through the Faraday Battery Challenge, to help the sector deliver 100,000 jobs in battery gigafactories and the battery supply chain by 2040. The funding will be delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) with support from the Faraday Institution, Innovate UK and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

The UK Hydrogen Strategy sets out how government, working with industry, is aiming to develop 10GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2030, for use across the economy. This forms a part of the British energy security strategy for delivering secure, clean and affordable British energy for the long term.

Background

EleVAIT – JLR

£6.3 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £12.6 million. This research project will explore and develop technology for inverters – a key component in electric vehicles. As well as developing a best-in-class product, this work will support the growth of a UK supply chain in components for electric vehicles.

Project partners include: University of Bristol, Customer Interconnect Ltd, API Capacitors Ltd

Jobs created or safeguarded: 1,258

CO² savings: 55,000 tonnes

FCVGEN2.0 – Ford Motor Company Ltd

£8 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £16.3 million. This project will design and develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered version of the Ford Transit van, with the Ford Dagenham engine factory to be re-purposed for initial production of the vehicle. By bringing the manufacturer, vehicle operator and supply chain businesses together, this project aims to establish a business case for the wider rollout of hydrogen Light Commercial Vehicles.

Project partners include: Ocado, BP, Cygnet Texkimp, Cambustion, Vrititech

Jobs created or safeguarded: 167

CO² savings: 4.1m tonnes

NEXTGENZEBS – Wrightbus

£6.4 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £12.7 million. This project will produce a new, market-leading platform for battery and fuel cell electric driven buses. Whilst demand is growing for zero-emission vehicles, there are currently few options available for heavy, multi-axle vehicles like large buses.

Project partners include: Queens University Belfast, Grayson Thermal Systems, Hutchinson Engineering, Translink

Jobs created or safeguarded: 883

CO² savings: 3.4m tonnes

CAVENDISH – BorgWarner

£4.9 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £9.8 million. This project aims to speed up the rollout of hydrogen-burning internal combustion engines, as an alternative to diesel. Project Cavendish will develop new fuel and air management systems, so that existing heavy duty diesel technologies can be repurposed to use hydrogen as fuel.

Project partners include: Mahle, Cambustion, Hartridge

Jobs created or safeguarded: 513

CO² savings: 31.6m tonnes

ZETTA – Leyland Trucks Ltd

£2.6 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £5.1 million. By better use of automation and advanced testing, Leyland Trucks aim to increase productivity and step up their production of battery electric trucks. A ‘digital twin’ of the Leyland production line will be set up, meaning any changes can be run in simulation before being rolled out physically.

Project partners include: Expert Tooling, HSSMI

Jobs created or safeguarded: 439

CO² savings: 12m tonnes

HYER POWER – ULEMCO Ltd

£3.9 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £7.9 million. This project will develop a hydrogen fuel cell range extender for electric vehicles used for special purposes, such as ambulances, fire engines and street sweepers. The zero-emission range extender will be based on existing, proven technology from the Toyota Mirai, and demonstrate how zero emission vehicles can be used in a wide range of specialised and challenging settings.

Project partners include: Altair Engineering, Emergency One, Technical Services Ltd, Oxon Fire & Rescue Services

Jobs created or safeguarded: 682

CO² savings: 1.1m tonnes

HEIDI – Bramble Energy Ltd

£6.3 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £12.7 million. This project will demonstrate a fuel cell/battery hybrid powertrain on a double-decker bus. This novel product will be cheaper than the equivalents currently available for large vehicles like buses, and uses innovative new electronics and energy recovery technologies.

Project partners include: University of Bath, Equipmake, Aeristech

Jobs created or safeguarded: 498

CO² savings: 5.9m tonnes

About the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK

The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) collaborates with UK government, the automotive industry and academia to accelerate the industrialisation of technologies, supporting the transition to deliver net-zero emission vehicles.

Since its foundation in 2013, APC has funded 199 low-carbon projects involving 450 partners, working with companies of all sizes, and will have helped to create or safeguard over 55,000 jobs in the UK. The technologies developed in these projects are projected to save over 350 million tonnes of CO² , the equivalent of removing the lifetime emissions from 14.1 million cars.

With its deep sector expertise and cutting-edge knowledge of new propulsion technologies, APC’s role in building and advising project consortia helps projects start more quickly and deliver increased value. In the longer term, its work to drive innovation and encourage collaboration is building the foundations for a successful and sustainable UK automotive industry.

In 2019 the UK government committed the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) to accelerate the development of a net-zero vehicle supply chain, enabling UK-based manufacturers to serve global markets. ATF investments are awarded through the APC to support strategically important UK capital and R&D investments that will enable companies involved in batteries, motors and drives, power electronics, fuel cells, and associated supply chains to anchor their future.

For more information please visit the APC website or follow @theapcuk on Twitter and Advanced Propulsion Centre UK on LinkedIn.
May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Further protections for England’s coastal waterways [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 9 May 2023.

Consultation to expand storm overflow reduction targets to cover all coasts, estuaries and marine protected sites.

The government is planning to consult on expanding its targets to tackle sewage even further to cover all coasts, estuaries and marine protected sites, Defra has confirmed today (9 May 2023).

The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, published in August 2022, set out stringent targets to protect people and the environment, backed up by £56 billion capital investment – the largest infrastructure programme in water company history.

Since then, the government has continued to drive action to hold water companies to account, bring in tougher regulation and accelerate infrastructure to tackle pollution. Building on the measures in the plan to address the overflows causing the most harm first, the government is now planning to consult to expand the targets to cover all coastal and estuarine overflows.

It follows last month’s announcement that the government’s target to reduce storm overflows will be enshrined in law through the Environment Act 2021. This will be backed by separate interim milestones for bathing waters and high priority nature sites.

The government has always been clear that it will go further and faster to tackle the issue of storm overflows wherever possible, with Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey demanding earlier this year that water companies share individual improvement plans on all storm overflows by June.

The targets outlined in the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan provide an achievable, credible route to tackling sewage and delivering the improvements customers expect without disproportionately impacting consumer bills.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

As a coastal MP myself, I know that our coastlines are hugely important to local communities and to nature. While 93% of our beaches with designated bathing status are already rated excellent or good, I intend to use my powers to better protect all of our coasts and estuaries”.

The Plan for Water set out the government’s strategy to tackle all sources of pollution – not just storm overflows, but also agriculture, plastics, road run-off and chemicals – as well as managing the pressures on our water resources.

May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Factories receive government support to grow the economy, cut emissions and reduce energy costs [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 9 May 2023.

Energy intensive business across the UK receive government support to become more energy efficient.
- Toyota and Britvic among 26 business receiving a share of £24.3 million to become more energy efficient and reduce fossil fuel use
- funding supports businesses using high amounts of energy to clean up their manufacturing processes using low-carbon technologies
- energy-intensive industries are responsible for 11% of the UK’s total emissions – and represent over 70% of UK industrial emissions
Factories producing some of the country’s best-known beers, cereals, soft drinks and cars will receive government support to reduce their energy costs and cut carbon emissions.

Heineken, Kellogg’s, Toyota and Britvic are among businesses across the UK to be awarded a share of £24.3 million government funding to help clean up their manufacturing processes and improve their energy efficiency.

The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) supports businesses using high amounts of energy to reduce their fossil fuel using innovative low-carbon technologies. This will help companies save on their energy costs, which in turn will safeguard British jobs and help grow the economy – one of the government’s 5 priorities.
- Heineken is receiving £3.7 million to upgrade their Manchester Brewery, including installing technology to recover waste heat from the refrigeration systems used to cool their beer
- Toyota in Derby is receiving over £282,000 to introduce new airless paint sprayers, which use static electricity instead of air, to reduce the amount of energy they need
- Britvic Soft Drinks will use £4.4 million to implement new technologies, including a heat recovery system and Low Temperature Hot Water network, at its site in east London, where it produces drinks such as Tango and Robinsons
- Kellogg’s in Wrexham will receive funding for a study assessing the possibility of recovering the waste heat from their cereal manufacturing processes to reduce their gas usage
- Tate and Lyle Sugars, which supplies nearly half of all the sugar and syrup on UK supermarket shelves, is receiving over £71,800 to explore how to reduce natural gas use at their Thames Refinery
Other recipients include Ingevity UK in Warrington, which will receive £2.6 million for hydrogen ready natural gas fuelled boilers at their chemicals plant, Natural World Products in Dunmurry, a producer of peat-free composts and soil conditioners, is receiving nearly £300,000 to replace diesel-powered plant equipment with electric kit, and Breedon Cement is receiving over £231,000 for a feasibility study on using carbon capture technologies at their site in Hope, Derbyshire.

Energy-intensive industries are responsible for 11% of the UK’s total emissions and represent over 70% of UK industrial emissions. While the UK is making excellent progress on the road to net zero, having cut emissions by 48% between 1990 and 2021 – decarbonising faster than any other G7 country – it is estimated that industry will need to cut their emissions by two thirds by 2035 for the UK to achieve its net zero target.

Minister for Energy Efficiency Lord Callanan said:

We are leading the world in reaching net zero, having cut emissions by 48% – but to keep up this progress and achieve our green goals, we’ve got to transform our industrial sectors, as some of the industries most critical to our economy are also those with the highest emissions.

Today, we’re backing them with government funding to use the latest technologies to cut their emissions and their reliance on fossil fuels – helping to future-proof these industries as we grow our green economy.

This will not only cut their energy costs but also boost their competitiveness on the world stage, helping them thrive and protecting the thousands of jobs they offer across the country.

Matt Callan, Senior Director Supply Chain at Heineken UK, said:

We are proud to have ambitious targets when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint, within both our own operations and across our entire value chain. For over 150 years, we have been passionate about making a positive impact and more than ever it is clear that there is no time to waste in taking action to reduce carbon emissions.

This investment and IETF funding will enable us to act faster, and with the commitment and passion of our colleagues and partners, will help us raise the bar at our Manchester Brewery to brew our beers in a more sustainable way.

The project will make a significant contribution on our journey to carbon neutrality and provide us with the learnings to reapply across our other sites as we continue our journey to brew a better world.

Phil Makin, Technical Development Manager at Kellogg UK said:

The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund is enabling our Wrexham site to unlock future sustainability savings and benefits, whilst driving down our overall carbon footprint and helping towards Kellogg’s 2030 carbon neutral target.

Sarah Webster, Britvic’s Sustainable Business Director, said:

We are passionate about delivering on our ambition to be net zero by 2050, and we are pleased to have reduced our direct emissions by over 30% since 2017.

We want to go further faster, but we can’t do it alone. Alongside our sustainable investment programme, this IETF grant will help us reduce our carbon emissions at our much-loved London site by a further 50%.

This will benefit our employees, the local community, our customers and consumers who can feel reassured that we take our environmental responsibilities seriously.

A total of £289 million is being made available to businesses through the IETF up to 2027 and today’s allocations take amount awarded under the scheme so far to £61.4 million.

Today’s announcement builds on the wide-ranging support that has been made available to energy-intensive industries. This includes:
- businesses have been supported throughout the winter with £5.6 billion of support, enabling some to only pay around half of the predicted wholesale energy costs
- the Energy Bill Relief Scheme has provided a discount on non-domestic (business, public sector and voluntary sector organisations) gas and electricity unit prices; this 6-month scheme expired in March 2023
- the Energy Bill Discount Scheme started on 1 April 2023; the new scheme will mean eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users may receive a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024
- the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) discount will provide a higher level of support to businesses and organisations in eligible sectors
- the government has provided over £800 million since 2013 to help industrial sectors with energy costs, with many businesses able to bid for competitive funds of over £1.5 billion to support them going green
The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund is one of many schemes that form part of the government’s commitment to reduce overall UK energy demand by 15% by 2030, alongside the wider ambition for the UK to move towards greater energy independence.

Full list of recipients are as follows:
- Ardagh Glass Limited in Doncaster is receiving £1.7 million for their Doncaster Efficient Furnace Project, which will develop a brand-new container glass production furnace at the facility
- Mitsubishi Chemicals UK in Hull is receiving over £3.1 million to install state-of-the-art technology which will combust waste gas to generate energy
- Naylor Industries in Barnsley, a specialist clay pipe manufacturer, is receiving over £73,100 to explore re-using waste heat from the exhaust gases of their kilns, to make their manufacturing process more energy efficient
- Wienerberger Limited in Doncaster is receiving over £220,000 to install a more efficient energy and heat recovery system, including an electric heat pump, to replace gas oil and generate no carbon emissions at their concrete roof tile factories
- Heineken UK is receiving £3.7 million to upgrade their Manchester Brewery, including installing technology to recover waste heat from the refrigeration systems used to cool their beer
- Basell Polyolefins UK is receiving over £1.12 million to reduce natural gas usage at their plastics plant in Carrington, Greater Manchester
- Cargill in Manchester is receiving over £1 million for a project improving the energy efficiency and reducing emissions from their glucose manufacturing process, including through installing electric heat pump technology
- Ingevity UK in Warrington is receiving over £2.6 million to replace the current boiler systems at their chemicals plant with new hydrogen ready natural gas fuelled boilers
- European Metal Recycling in Liverpool is receiving over £390,000 to install new equipment to make their metal shredding process more efficient
- Rock Chemicals Limited in Warrington is receiving over £100,000 to install technology that blends chemicals using ultrasound instead of being powered by diesel
- Weir Minerals Europe Limited in Todmorden, Lancashire, is receiving over £137,000 to carry out a study on improving the energy efficiency of their foundry at Todmorden by recovering and reusing waste heat
- AB Inbev UK in Preston, makers of Budweiser, is receiving over £61,500 to carry out a study on using a heat pump to reduce carbon emissions from their brewery
- Magnavale Limited in Chesterfield is receiving nearly £372,000 to install a cutting-edge refrigeration system for food products that uses less energy than traditional systems
- Breedon Cement in Hope, Derbyshire is receiving over £231,000 for a feasibility study on using carbon capture technologies at their Hope site
- Lhoist UK Limited is receiving over £92,000 for a decarbonisation study at their Hindlow plant, near Buxton in Derbyshire, which manufactures high-quality lime
- Toyota UK in Derby is receiving over £282,000 to introduce new airless paint atomisers for their automotive site, which aims to reduce the amount of energy required for their painting processes by reducing the spray booth size and equipment
- Pioneer Foods Limited, a cereal manufacturer in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, is taking forward 3 different projects, with grants of over £27,000, £29,000, and £136,000 respectively; the projects include exploring reusing waste wheat products as a biomass fuel, installing a biomass combined heat and power system, and improving the energy efficiency of their ovens
- Tate and Lyle Sugars is receiving nearly £72,000 for a study exploring how to reduce natural gas use – and therefore also carbon emissions – at their Thames Refinery in East London
- Britvic Soft Drinks in London is receiving £4.4 million to implement the latest low carbon technologies at its production site at Beckton where it makes drinks such as Tango and Robinsons; improvements will include using a heat recovery system, and a new Low Temperature Hot Water network
- Ibstock Brick Limited, a leading UK manufacturer of clay and concrete building products in Pullborough, West Sussex is receiving over £241,000 for technology that will reuse waste heat to reduce their energy usage
- GKN Aerospace Services in Filton near Bristol is receiving over £231,000 for their Sustainable Transformation of Emissions for Aerospace Manufacturing (STEAM) project investigating energy efficiency technologies that can be implemented at their Filton site
- Kellogg’s in Wrexham, North Wales is receiving £19,000 for a study assessing the possibility of recovering the waste heat from their cereal manufacturing processes to reduce their gas usage
- Natural World Products (NWP) in Dunmurry, a producer of peat-free composts and soil conditioners, is receiving nearly £300,000 for fuel switching projects, replacing diesel-powered plant equipment with more modern and cutting edge equivalents that are fully powered by electricity
- FP McCann Limited is receiving £3.39 million for energy efficiency improvements of the crushing and concrete manufacturing process at its Craigall Quarry in Kilrea
May 9, 2023