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Catalyst 2017 Profile: AMODISC
December 21, 2017Blog -
Catalyst 2017 Profile: Filament
December 19, 2017Blog -
Catalyst 2017 Profile: Soton Audio Labs
December 19, 2017Blog -
Start-up to stardom: How do you create a winning brand strategy?
December 1, 2017Blog -
Catalyst 2017 Profile: Care Quest
November 27, 2017Blog -
Utonomy attracts major investment
September 7, 2017News -
Less than one week until applications for Southampton’s Catalyst business incubation programme close!
August 16, 2017Blog -
Tidal Harness Complete Proof-of-Concept Project in Southampton Waters
August 3, 2017News -
What Makes a Million Dollar Idea?
August 2, 2017Blog -
Dynamon Joins Logistics Industry Leaders in Government Backed Research
June 26, 2017News -
First Start-Up Announced For Catalyst 6
June 2, 2017Blog -
Ruby Is Jewel In Catalyst Crown
June 1, 2017Blog -
Southampton – your new starter home?
May 15, 2017Blog -
Wessex Social Ventures: Bringing it all together
April 26, 2017Blog -
Dynamon awarded Innovate UK funding in partnership with Totalsim and the industry
April 25, 2017News -
Wessex Social Ventures: ‘Training small, community based social franchises is unique’
April 25, 2017Blog -
The CEO’s blog: Catalyst – a platform for innovation, incubation and acceleration
April 25, 2017Blog -
Technology specialists clinch funding
April 24, 2017News -
The Catalyst Challenge returns
April 4, 2017News -
Barter for Things to help lead the way with new Internet-of-Things network
March 27, 2017News -
Applications now open for Catalyst 2017
March 27, 2017News -
20 students, five teams, two business models
March 17, 2017Blog -
EY Tuesday: What’s the right path to accelerate your growth journey?
March 15, 2017News -
Catalyst Challenge
March 13, 2017 -
Building business savvy into firms’ foundations
March 8, 2017Blog -
Utonomy secures £1m investment
February 20, 2017News -
University Science Park CEO to launch 2017 Test Valley Business Awards
February 13, 2017News -
Funding for xim – Catalyst graduate and child asthma innovators
January 26, 2017News -
Catalyst Challenge
January 23, 2017News -
Interview with SAL Scientific Founding Director and Catalyst Graduate, Alasdair Robertson
January 18, 2017Blog -
Catalyst stars showcased
January 18, 2017News -
‘Appy New Year from Made and Worn
January 17, 2017Blog -
The breakthrough technologies of 2016
January 17, 2017Blog -
Plan, plan – then plan some more
December 14, 2016Blog -
Globally and locally, innovation is the focus
November 22, 2016Blog -
HiveWire completes MedTech line-up for Catalyst
November 9, 2016Blog -
Catalyst gets crafty
October 19, 2016Blog -
Fifth Catalyst tenant revealed
October 11, 2016Blog -
Introducing the fourth Catalyst Centre tenant
October 5, 2016Blog -
The Catalyst Centre showcases technology from tenants past and present
September 27, 2016News -
Lack of direction, not a lack of time, is the problem
September 14, 2016Blog -
The third Catalyst Centre tenant revealed
September 1, 2016Blog -
The first and second Catalyst Centre tenants are unveiled
August 22, 2016Blog -
Nucleus Expo Hampshire announces speaker programme
August 15, 2016News -
Ten top-tips for tech startup success
August 8, 2016Blog -
Pitch Perfect
August 3, 2016Blog -
It’s Not What You Know
July 25, 2016Blog -
Don’t Sleep on it! Turn Your Dreams Into a Reality
July 18, 2016Blog -
Has the glass ceiling finally been shattered?
July 13, 2016Blog -
Do You Have the X Factor… or the Fear Factor?
July 4, 2016Blog -
Tech Communities Come Together And Are Encouraged to Reach Out
June 27, 2016Blog -
It’s Right to Remain
June 21, 2016Blog -
In for a Penny…
June 13, 2016Blog -
Catalyst Challenge: what’s it all about?
May 9, 2016Blog -
Catalyst calls on science and technology start-ups for 2016 programme
April 21, 2016News -
Southampton to host Hampshire innovation showcase
April 12, 2016News -
The budget 2016: What it means for small businesses
March 21, 2016Blog -
BluPoint goes global
March 14, 2016News -
xim’s Lifelight™ attracts investment
March 4, 2016News -
Dynamon takes to the stage in the middle east
February 29, 2016News -
The peak of success
February 22, 2016Blog -
Big ideas spring from leakage
February 12, 2016Blog -
Catalyst Centre tenants onto something big!
February 5, 2016Blog
Big ideas spring from leakage
Big ideas spring from leakage
Utilities companies and networks are rarely out of the news. Price hikes fuelled by uncertainty in financial markets, flooding and droughts caused by ineffective water management, and environmental concerns over fracking, solar and wind farms make for frequent headlines. However, the underlying technical and ecological issues are complex and market deregulation can further inhibit speedy solutions. But one thing’s for sure – there is broad agreement that our precious natural resources need to be preserved and managed with care.
Gas reserves are of particular interest. Utility Week reported recently that the Energy Networks Association’s Gas Futures Group had appointed KPMG to evaluate different possibilities for the future of gas in the UK over the next 25 years. The report will consider the main drivers and trends that influence the long term development of the energy system such as technology, decarbonisation targets, and demand profiles and their impact upon the gas network.
Gas being in the spotlight is good news for current Catalyst Centre tenant Utonomy. The start-up here at the University of Southampton Science Park is developing new technology which will reduce leakage in the UK’s gas distribution networks.
There are eight gas distribution networks throughout the British Isles which take gas from the high pressure transmission system and distribute it to the consumer. Maintaining a consistent pressure throughout this network can reduce leakage of methane gas into the environment.
Utonomy’s solution works by automatically managing pressure in the network so that it is consistently at the right level no matter what the demand. This smart network pressure management is expected to reduce leakage by more than 20%. This will give a significant payback for gas network operators and make a big impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
This is important because methane gas is a potent greenhouse gas with 84 times the global warming potential of CO2 over 20 years. It accounts for 14% of all greenhouse gas emissions, 30% of which derive from oil and gas production.
Technology is only one part of the total energy management and conservation solution of course, but it’s reassuring to know that our entrepreneurial spirits here at the Catalyst Centre are leading the way!