Aerospace

Bristol Airport’s new decarbonisation fund goes live

Posted 10 August 2021

Bristol Airport’s new fund to support innovative research and projects to decarbonise aviation is now live, with the £250,000 Aviation Carbon Transition (ACT) Programme open to any organisation or business in the South West, or businesses with innovative projects applicable at Bristol Airport.

Image courtesy Bristol Airport

The ACT Programme is a fund to kick start and fast track decarbonisation initiatives in the South West, focusing on ‘Scope 3’ emissions from flight and transport at Bristol Airport. These Scope 3 emissions are those outside the airport’s own operations, such as planes and passenger road transport.

The ACT Programme will make individual grants of up to £50,000 to organisations developing technology that could help the aviation industry transition to zero carbon emission flight. As this is the inaugural year of the Act Programme, Bristol Airport are not capping the number of applications being awarded and will look favourably on matched funded projects.

Simon Earles, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Director, Bristol Airport said: “Our region has a unique cluster of aerospace companies, expertise, and world-leading universities. The ACT Programme will provide them with funding to kick-start exciting new initiatives to move aviation towards net zero, with option of the airport being available as a testbed for new technology.

“We are committed to net zero operations by 2030 with the ACT Programme part of our efforts to work in partnership and cut emissions from flights. We’re excited to see what ideas come forward.”

The launch of the ACT Programme follows Bristol Airport announcing it will achieve carbon neutrality later this year for its own operations, four years ahead of its target, and aims to have net zero operations by 2030.

Projects should address at least one of the following priority areas:

Hydrogen including storage, handling, aircraft refuelling/defueling, distribution, and associated technologies at Bristol Airport.
Electric including charging, storage, handling, batteries, electric distribution, and associated technologies at Bristol Airport.
Local projects to generate positive carbon reduction which can be used to offset emissions from Bristol Airport where applicable.
Research into new technologies and future demand scenarios for airside use of green hydrogen and electricity at Bristol Airport.

Applications can be made through the airport’s website.