Monday, 15 January 2024
The University of Nottingham’s Power Electronics, Machines and Control (PEMC) Research Group has been announced as a member of the Chilean Institute of Clean Technologies, making it the first UK institution to join the programme.
The $123 million project, which is one of the biggest in the history of Chile, aims to develop advanced technologies for sustainable mining in areas including hydrogen, solar energy, electromobility and more over the next ten years as part of the journey towards net zero.
Professor Pat Wheeler, Head of the PEMC Research Group, said: “We have collaborated with several university partners in Chile over the past 30 years, meaning we already have incredibly strong foundations on which we can build on as part of the institute."
Being part of this project provides us with the exciting opportunity to be at the heart of progress when it comes to sustainable industry development and contribute more widely to tackling climate change.
The PEMC Research Group is one of the largest in its field, made up of 27 academic staff, 60+ research fellows, 90+ PhD students as well as project managers and administrators, based in the recently opened £56 million research facility on the university’s Jubilee Campus.
To be the first UK institution to join the institute is something we’re extremely proud of, it’s going to put the exciting technologies we’re creating here in Nottingham on the world stage as they will be tested in real industrial environments. We’re turning our research into reality and helping to solve real-world challenges that are relevant across the globe – not just in Chile.
Inside the PEMC building
Víctor Pérez, Executive Director of the Asociación para el Desarrollo del Instituto de Tecnologías Limpias (ASDIT), who is in charge of developing this project in Chile, said: “We are very happy to have the prestigious experience of the University of Nottingham, specifically the PEMC Research Group, and we are sure that the team will provide a tremendous contribution to the challenges we will develop at the institute.
“The Clean Technologies Institute (ITL) is a historic project for Chile and is an example of integration, linkage, positive impact, and commitment to the sustainable development of our country and the world. The contribution of international institutions like this university is key to having different perspectives and the best tools worldwide.”
To find out more about the PEMC Research Group, please click here.
Story credits
More information is available from Patrick Wheeler, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham, at patrick.wheeler@nottingham.ac.uk or Danielle Hall, Media Relations Manager at the University of Nottingham, at danielle.hall@nottingham.ac.uk.
About the Faculty of Engineering:
Made up of six departments – Architecture and Built Environment, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering and Foundation Engineering and Physical Sciences – the university’s Faculty of Engineering is home to more than 5,600 students and 800 staff.
The faculty, which has educated engineers and architects for more than 140 years, was the first in the country to be accredited with an Athena SWAN Gold Award for excellence in advancing gender equality across higher education and research and is home to multiple state-of-the-art facilities, including the recently opened £40m Power Electronics and Machines Centre (PEMC).
With research at its heart, 20 research groups are undertaking pioneering projects for a sustainable future across several themes – including net zero transport, sustainable energies and the built environment, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare technologies – and has delivered a positive impact in more than 20 countries. The faculty’s research has benefitted 500 companies and three governments and has also directly created jobs for around 3,000 people across the world.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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