WS3 Archives - Transfire

TransFIRe appears at the Edinburgh Science Festival

TransFIRe appears at the Edinburgh Science Festival

TransFIRe researcher, Mark Cassidy, from the University of Edinburgh appeared at the Edinburgh Science Festival this week for a deep dive discussion to explore the latest technologies to around carbon capture and storage. The panel discussion covered the role of the latest technologies and nature-based solutions to remove capture carbon dioxide from both industrial processes and the atmosphere. Mark outlined the work the TransFIRe project in improving efficiencies and reducing energy waste across the foundation industries and also acknowledged the important potential of CCS technologies within hard to abate foundation industries. However, Mark, whose research is focussed on historical, social and cultural relations around energy transitions, also cautioned about the role of technological optimism when discussing possible solutions around decarbonisation and climate change. Mark suggested that while it may seem comfortable to look for a technological fix to solve issues such as carbon dioxide emissions, the slow rates of [...]

Joanna Johnson2024-04-17T11:44:55+00:00April 17th, 2024|

Lessons learned from differing priorities for stakeholders

Lessons learned from differing priorities for stakeholders

TransFIRe User Journey Method Pilot Study: Lessons learned from differing priorities for stakeholders J McKendree & S Cinderby Stockholm Environment Institute, University of York Summary TransFIRe Workstream 3 (WS3) explores collaborations between Foundation Industries (FIs) and nearby communities. User Journey methods are useful for exploring expectations, challenges and potential solutions in such partnerships. A workshop was planned to pilot a User Journey with an example FI, local businesses and community organisations concerned with skills promotion and net zero goals. Community organisations were more likely to show interest than the FI companies or local small businesses. Finding the appropriate contact for community engagement in industry was difficult. Many FIs have limited time for external engagement and prioritise technical actions to increase short term productivity and profitability. TransFIRe could potentially facilitate industry/community connections and collaborations. Conducting individual User Journey interviews remotely may offer a more effective means of exploring opportunities than [...]

Joanna Johnson2023-05-02T12:27:53+00:00February 28th, 2023|

TransFIRe partner collaboration on the tiles

TransFIRe partner collaboration on the tiles

In the summer of last year, a range of teams from across TransFIRe began working with Zentia, a ceiling tile manufacturer in Gateshead, to develop a case study focused on reducing energy usage, capturing and reusing waste heat and exploring the use of additives and alternative product mixtures to improve the material properties of their products. Zentia’s factory produces ceiling tiles formed from a wet mixture of newsprint, starch, fibreglass and other minerals, which are then pressed and dried by passing through a long series of gas-fired ovens. The manufacturing process generates large amounts of steam and hot air and offers significant potential for heat and water recovery projects. Initially brought into the TransFIRe programme by Professor Justin Perry and Dr Matt Unthank, Chemical Technical Working Group members from Northumbria University, to explore the use of alternative tile coatings, the engineering and management team at Zentia also expressed interest [...]

Joanna Johnson2023-02-27T15:04:46+00:00January 30th, 2023|

Net-Zero, Industrial Decarbonisation, and the ‘Non-Technical’ Dimensions of Transformative Change

Net-Zero, Industrial Decarbonisation, and the ‘Non-Technical’ Dimensions of Transformative Change

SKAPE is delighted to host Kyle Parker and Steve Yearley (University of Edinburgh). Kyle and Steve will be presenting on “Net-Zero, Industrial Decarbonisation, and the ‘Non-Technical’ Dimensions of Transformative Change”. Abstract: This talk reports on research being conducted within STIS as part of the UK’s TransFIRe Hub – a large investment by UKRI/EPSRC involving over 20 investigators from 12 UK institutions, in addition to Project Partners from more than 70 organisations (including companies, NGOs and government organisations. TransFIRe is about the meeting point of two huge challenges and transformations confronting UK industry: namely, the impacts of Brexit on international competitiveness, and the drive towards decarbonisation and the UK’s 2050 ‘Net-Zero’ target. This is of particular importance to the so-called Foundation Industries (FI) – the energy-intensive industries that produce the material from which other products are made (for example, metals, glass and ceramics). Ordinary people are seldom customers for foundation-industry products, but they (we) buy the things made [...]

Joanna Johnson2023-01-30T11:59:03+00:00January 26th, 2023|