HTMS will help Amazon reduce its heating and cooling energy requirements by up to 14pc at its fulfilment centres in Coventry, Daventry and Doncaster in England.
11 start-ups from across the world, including Dublin-based HT Materials Science (HTMS), will trial their sustainability technology with Amazon in Europe.
The start-ups, after winning funding in this year’s Amazon Sustainability Accelerator, have been offered the opportunity to test their innovations across the company’s operations with the potential of a long-term partnership with Amazon in Europe and an investment of up to £2m.
The start-ups will work with Amazon in the UK, Denmark, France, Germany and Spain to test new ways to recycle electronic waste, develop innovative packaging methods and use AI to improve energy efficiency.
Starting this month, the Irish firm HTMS will help Amazon reduce its heating and cooling energy requirements by up to 14pc at its fulfilment centres in Coventry, Daventry and Doncaster in the UK.
HTMS has developed a ‘nanofluid additive,’ which increases the heating and cooling capacity of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) without additional energy input. Last year, HTMS raised $15m to support the global deployment of its heat transfer fluid to improve commercial and industrial cooling systems.
Among the other start-ups on trial is Cheesecake Energy, which was founded at the University of Nottingham. The company uses energy storage systems to capture electricity generated by solar power during the day to provide additional energy during peak hours or at night when the sun doesn’t shine. The firm will trial its technology in Amazon fulfilment centres in Europe.
“We are excited to test our innovative technology with Amazon. This will help the company store excess solar energy and use it when needed,” said Michael Simpson, chief commercial officer at Cheesecake Energy.
Other start-ups include Canadian BrainBox, with an AI-driven HVAC optimisation solution; Circu Li-ion which automates the disassembly process of battery packs from Germany and Luzermbourg; and Phaidra, a US start-up that aims to make buildings more energy efficient using AI.
“Through our world-leading AI tools, we are committed to reducing carbon emissions and energy use in heating and cooling systems,” said Jim Gao, CEO of Phaidra.
The Amazon Sustainability Accelerator launched in 2022 and has supported more than 40 start-ups across the UK and Europe, providing more than £1m in grants and credits. However, in 2023, Amazon cancelled its pledge to make half its shipments carbon neutral by 2030 and that year the company’s emissions from direct operations rose by 7pc when compared to 2022.
Earlier this year, Irish start-up Proveye was selected for an Amazon Web Services (AWS) clean energy accelerator program to collaborate with, test and deploy its solutions with AWS.
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