University of Warwick to lead clean energy storage revolution thanks to £10 million gift

The University of Warwick has received a £10 million donation from alumnus Tim Hartnoll to establish a new research centre focused on sustainable energy technology.

The Hartnoll Centre for Experimental Fuel Technologies will bring together leading scientists and engineers to address the challenge of creating and storing energy sustainably.

The donation arrives as the UK government expands its Clean Power Action Plan, which aims to upgrade the country’s electricity grid within the decade and then to reach net zero by 2050.

Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, said that “Britain has experienced a devastating cost-of-living crisis caused by our exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets” since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, underlining the government’s desire to shift towards cleaner energy sources.

The Hartnoll Centre will seek to contribute towards [the government’s] goals by developing ‘new experimental fuel technologies that are cleaner, more efficient, and more accessible’

The government’s plan outlines a need to improve battery storage capacity by 2030, up from what was needed in 2024, in order to support the transition to cleaner power.

The Hartnoll Centre will seek to contribute towards these goals by developing “new experimental fuel technologies that are cleaner, more efficient, and more accessible”.

Warwick’s Vice-Chancellor, Stuart Croft, described the donation as a “defining moment” for both Warwick and the future of sustainable energy.

The gift is one of the largest to the University in its 60-year history and comes ahead of a major philanthropic campaign at Warwick, set to launch in 2026.

Universities like Warwick are at their best when they bring people together to solve global challenges

Tim Hartnell, Executive Chairman, X-Press Feeders, and Warwick alumni

Tim Hartnoll, who is the Executive Chairman of X-Press Feeders and a 1976 Warwick graduate, has been a long-standing supporter of Warwick research. He has funded 13 postdoctoral research positions and 12 PhD scholarships in Warwick’s Astronomy and Astrophysics Group. He has also been awarded the University’s Benefactor’s Medal in recognition of his philanthropy.

Hartnoll said that Warwick has played an important role in his life, adding, “Universities like Warwick are at their best when they bring people together to solve global challenges.”

Supporting sustainable energy research feels “both urgent and necessary,” he said.

Hartnoll described the centre as a continuation of his philanthropy, saying that he is “proud to give back to an institution that continues to push boundaries”.

The new centre is likely to position Warwick – and the UK – as the global leader in clean energy innovation, continuing Warwick’s work in hydrogen fuel systems, green chemistry, and battery technologies.

Professor Patrick Unwin, Director of the Centre, said that energy innovation requires “the collaboration of the brightest minds” and that Hartnoll’s donation will help to attract “the global talent” needed to redefine the world’s production and storage of energy.

As Warwick celebrates its 60th anniversary, the Hartnoll Centre is said to represent the University’s continued commitment to innovation, collaboration, and academic excellence in delivering solutions to global environmental challenges.