# Versarien’s 2-DTech to receive £93,000 in funding to develop an innovative Asymmetric Pseudo-Capacitor power pack

- Link: https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/versarien%e2%80%99s-2-dtech-to-receive-93000-in-funding-to-develop-an-innovative-asymmetric-pseudo-capacitor-power-pack/4121030922
- Published: 2021-11-01T07:27:01+00:00
- Author: Giles

The Department for Transport in partnership with Innovate UK, part of UK Research
and Innovation, has announced that project SUPPORTIVE has been awarded £652,000,
of which 2-DTech Limited, a subsidiary of **Versarien plc** (LON:VRS), will receive
£93,000, in funding to develop an innovative Asymmetric Pseudo-Capacitor power pack.
The objective is for this pack to be used in container shuttles, vehicles that transport
shipping containers, at ports all over the world. Currently these vehicles are powered
by diesel engines and are a sizable hurdle when it comes to transitioning maritime
infrastructure to zero emissions by 2050. This award is part of the UK’s Clean Maritime
Demonstration Competition Strand 2.

The aim of this funding is to support the design and development of technologies
for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by the UK’s maritime sector as set
out in the Clean Maritime Plan and support the transition to Net Zero by 2050.

There are currently two technologies used to power electric vehicles: lithium-ion
batteries and supercapacitors. Li-ion batteries can store large amounts of electrical
energy but typically have low power output, slow charging times and relatively short
battery life. Supercapacitors, on the other hand, supply huge amounts of power, 
charge very quickly and last almost indefinitely. However, the relatively small 
amount of energy they hold quickly drains and severely limits the range of a vehicle.

The new SUPPORTIVE pseudo-capacitor technology is designed to charge quicker than
supercapacitors, whilst also providing a higher power-capacity, and longer life-
span than lithium-ion batteries.

> **Julian Turner, CEO of Westfield Sportscars Ltd says **: “We are really excited
> to be working with our partners 2-DTech, CPI and Milford Haven on this project;
> it will bring ground breaking technology from the automotive and aerospace sectors
> to the marine industry. The partners have a mutual technology vision which will
> pave the way for a blueprint initially for all ports across the UK and then further
> afield. The consortium is delighted to be working with Belfast Harbour and the
> Port of Antwerp as non-funded partners on the project, bringing with them vast
> amounts of knowledge for trial sites, technology introduction to enable the scale
> up.”

> **Neill Ricketts, CEO of Versarien plc comments: **“Over the last few years 2-
> DTech has been working with Gnanomat to develop and supply graphene/transition
> metal oxide hybrid materials for use within the supercapacitor industry. We are
> really excited to have the opportunity to go one step beyond supercapacitors and
> move the asymmetric pseudo-capacitor tech we have developed into a real-world 
> application. As the world transitions away from fossil-fuel reliant technologies
> and works towards a zero emissions future, pseudo-capacitor technology has the
> potential to play a significant role in making a renewable energy future reality.”

> **Dr Tony Jackson, Business Unit Director, Formulation, CPI, adds: **“We’re delighted
> that the SUPPORTIVE project is being backed by the Department for Transport. As
> a cleantech innovation partner, CPI has a long history of translating bright ideas
> into new sustainable products and manufacturing processes. The Asymmetric Pseudo-
> Capacitor power pack developed through the SUPPORTIVE project will drive the next-
> generation of clean transport power and support net zero emission targets.”

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