The Research Council of Norway allocates funding new environmentally friendly energy solutions. Eight new Research Centers will receive between 120 to 180 million Norwegian kroner over eight years to address key challenges in the energy and climate sectors and strengthen innovation capacity in Norwegian industry.
The centers receiving funding are working on various aspects such as solar energy, batteries, and carbon capture and storage. “We cannot achieve our ambitious climate and energy goals without investing in research and development. I have high expectations for the new centers. They will be instrumental in generating new knowledge, new technology, and new solutions so that we can realize the low-emission society by 2050,” says Minister of Energy Terje Aasland.
Together with Minister of Research and Higher Education Oddmund Hoel and Director of the Research Council Mari Sundli Tveit, they visited the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) in Kjeller, one of the institutions receiving funding.
“The Research Centers for Environmentally Friendly Energy are crucial in the energy transition that Norwegian society is undergoing. And it’s important that we can quickly apply the knowledge gained. We know that there will be a significant need for expertise in the energy sector in the future. Therefore, an important task for the new centers will be to educate more PhDs and contribute to teaching at the master’s level,” says Minister of Research and Higher Education Oddmund Hoel.
The Research Centers for Environmentally Friendly Energy (FME) are consortia led by a research institution. The centers are to conduct research activities at a high international level in collaboration with industry, government, and society at large. The research in the centers aims to address key challenges in the energy and climate sectors and strengthen the innovation capacity of Norwegian industry.
“Congratulations to the eight centers that have received support. These centers are to combine long-term research with the application of results, both during and after the project period. Norway has built up strong expertise in energy research and environmentally friendly energy over time, and through the new centers, we ensure new knowledge for the future as well,” says CEO of the Research Council Mari Sundli Tveit.
The scheme is managed by the Research Council with funding from the Ministry of Energy. Currently, there are 13 research centers for environmentally friendly energy, 8 of which will conclude their operational period in 2024/2025 and will be replaced by new centers.
Read more about the centers receiving funding in our article Norway Invests in Research Centers for Sustainable Energy (article 2).
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