AGS joins Scottish consortium to unlock low-level wind power

Image courtesy Glasgow Airport / AGS

The newly-formed wind energy consortium will see the development and deployment of a new type of wind technology, created by Katrick Technologies and supported by AGS and the University of Strathclyde. This will involve the installation of Katrick Technologies’ dual-purpose wind panel and sound barrier, which can produce carbon-neutral energy from ground and low-level wind.

AGS - encompassing Glasgow, Aberdeen International and Southampton airports - has long been committed to carbon reduction. In 2020, the group achieved carbon neutrality status and earlier this year it launched its Sustainability Strategy which set out its commitment to achieving net zero by the mid-2030s.

The University of Strathclyde boasts its own impressive green credentials. The University’s Sustainability team has developed a bold climate-neutral districts vision, which will see renewable technologies used across its central Scotland facilities. The team is already helping to deliver the University’s first carbon-neutral building.

Among the University of Strathclyde’s alumni is Katrick Technologies founder and Co-CEO, Karthik Velayutham. Velayutham is an accomplished renewable engineer who holds four patents for renewable technologies. He launched Katrick Technologies as a green energy start-up in 2016 and is supported by Co-CEO, Vijay Madlani, to bring these technologies to the market.

One of these technologies, which is core to the consortium, is Katrick Technologies’ dual-purpose wind panel and sound barrier, which can produce carbon-neutral energy from ground and low-level wind. These energy-harvesting wind panels have been designed to tackle the decarbonisation challenges common to both airports and highways — unlike traditional wind turbines they can capture wind power, without needing significant height or scale.

As part of the consortium, Katrick Technologies’ wind acquisition systems will be installed on the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Airport estates. Initial wind-mapping on these sites will kick-off a phased approach for development of the wind panels. The ultimate goal is roll-out of this technology to support both estate’s net-zero goals and launch it to the wider market.

“Katrick Technologies and the University of Strathclyde have just been awarded Energy Technology Partnership (ETP) funding for a collaborative R&D project for the wind panel and noise barrier technology,” explained Vijay Madlani, Co-CEO of Katrick Technologies. “This is an initial step that will provide a catalyst for development by attracting large funding and investment opportunities. Not only will this support the development of our own technologies, but can help the group realise its shared vision by unlocking unharnessed wind power.”

“Partnering with technology experts and embracing innovation is essential for AGS to meet its decarbonisation goals,” explained Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports. “Renewable technologies have the potential to power vast amounts of on-site equipment, offset energy costs and reduce the requirement for carbon-based energy supply. In addition to supporting our transition to net zero, these wind panels also have the potential to help us manage the impact of airport-related noise which we know is an important issue for the communities we serve. Managing this is an integral part of how we grow our airports responsibly and these panels could also act as noise barriers on our airfields.”

Roddy Yarr, Executive Lead for Sustainability at the University of Strathclyde, said: “As a socially progressive university with ambitious targets towards net zero, we are pleased to support this project.

“Katrick’s clean technology is a great example of an innovation that can help us to create a series of ‘living labs’ to demonstrate and enable the transition to scalar greenhouse gas emissions reduction.”