Leading the way in promoting technology research

We work with leading educational institutions to push back the boundaries of technology research.

Working towards the next generation of low carbon solutions

Dynamic collaborations with scientific organisations and universities expand our understanding of energy technologies that can help us realise our aim of changing energy. These co-operations increase the funds and resources available for our research activities and bring together our expertise and the knowledge available through leading academics in the UK and internationally.

We're targeting the next generation of low carbon energy solutions in a £10 million programme jointly funded by ourselves and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), one of the UK's main research funding agencies.

The programme, which is open to all UK universities, is funding four phases of research by university consortia over the next five years, beginning with a project to investigate pathways to low carbon energy systems. Guidance on this research is provided by our Academic Advisory Council, which comprises of specialists in low carbon technologies from the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, Imperial College, London and The University of Nottingham.

Our university engagement extends to the sponsorship of university-based projects relevant to our business, thereby helping to develop the next generation of engineers and scientists. Employment opportunities for graduates have also resulted from our collaboration with universities.

A typical example of our involvement is a project with the University of Nottingham investigating energy efficiency measures to reduce the significant proportion of UK carbon dioxide emissions related to homes. We're helping to build a replica 1930's house to find innovative solutions to upgrading the UK's ageing housing stock, thereby turning them into the type of state-of-the-art energy efficient homes the Government wants to see by 2016.

Further work on innovative energy use is under way through our sponsorship of a professorship at Loughborough University: the E.ON UK and Royal Academy of Engineering research chair in low carbon energy technologies.

Our reach extends beyond the UK. We have key collaborations with the Canadian International Test Centre for Carbon Capture and the University of Texas for research into the most cost-effective and efficient methods of carbon capture, including their integration into power plants.

Universities worldwide are also benefitting from support through the E.ON International Research Initiative, through which the E.ON Group is providing €100 million over a decade to fund a variety of collaborative projects around the globe.

The centrepiece is the E.ON Energy Research Centre which is being established in Aachen, in north-west Germany, and which further demonstrates our dedication to fulfilling our responsibilities as a leading global energy company.

We're also involved with Cenex, the UK's Centre of Excellence for low carbon and fuel cell technologies, to advise us on ways of minimising the carbon impact of our fleet of vehicles. Established in 2005 with Government funding, Cenex aims to assist the UK motor industry in maintaining a competitive position during the global shift to a low carbon economy.