November 28, 2024
Amid the hullaballoo about #netzero and its effects on the UK economy, I visited a group of low-carbon innovators to see how they’re making energy more sustainable and efficient for future generations.
Day one of the two-day London Climate Technology Show yesterday drew a good crowd of energy and business people, prospective customers and collaborators and encouragingly, several young folk, keen to explore solutions to big problems.
On show near the entrance was First Light Fusion, which aims to supply safe, cheap, baseload electricity by recreating on earth the generating power of the sun – on a smaller scale!
Fusion is the holy grail as it produces none of the long-lived radioactive waste that’s a problem for fission reactors such as two being built in Britain – Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C. The challenge for fusion is generating more output than input while achieving the high temperatures required to start and maintain a reaction without destroying the containment vessel.
A big technical breakthrough came in December 2022 when the National Ignition Facility in California achieved its first ignition, producing 3.15 megajoules of fusion energy from 2.05 MJ of laser energy.
The advance prompted a rush of start-ups so there are now 44 fusion hopefuls in the West and an unknown number in China, offering different ways to commercialise the concept. Established in 2011, First Light is among the pioneers.
The company’s ‘inertial’ method works by firing a 100g projectile at up to 14,500mph into a vacuum chamber, compressing and heating fuel to create the conditions required for fusion. The Oxford firm is backed by long-standing investors including IP Group.
At their stand at lunchtime on the first day, First Light CFO David Bryon and Mohamed Ben Sasi (above, right), adding investment manager to his role of physicist, said the response at the show was positive, as it had been at other recent events including one aimed at students.
Also welcoming delegates was Olivia Smith, partner at sustainability consultant at CGI. She said the management and technology consultancy was seeing high UK demand for its skills in helping organisations tackle the challenges of the age, such as such as decarbonisation and AI. With few or no large rivals present, CGI made the most of its stand with a giant, illuminated global map.
Also on show was Wielkopolska, a region of Poland known for its industry and tourism, located midway between Warsaw and Berlin. An official said civic administrators were attracted by the UK’s openness and culture of collaboration, adding the region had a strong relationship with Scotland.
Here, Piotr Napierała explained how his company, Virtud, is transforming the energy efficiency of homes and businesses by installing systems that combine solar PV with hydrogen cells. Demand has risen with the growth in multi-rate tariffs, allowing customers to buy and store energy off-peak.
The CEO of niche consultancy The Perfect Process told delegates about applying ‘lean thinking’ to business processes. Working with his team, Neil Trivedi brings to bear a career in industry and manufacturing to boost efficiency, making factories greener and reducing both waste and energy use.
Next door, Hazel Gonda, Chief Innovator and co-founder of Fibe, told how the company aims to revolutionise fashion by making sustainable fibres for textiles from potato waste. Its material uses 99.7% less water, with no additional land needed, and emits 82% less CO2 than cotton. Hazel and her colleagues, who met while studying at Imperial College, raised £1m last year to fund growth.
February 19, 2025
The Government faces many challenges, from enhancing European security to advancing AI and manufacturing. A crucial aspect of this is effectively communicating its environmental goals.
December 17, 2024
I braved the Christmas shopping and party crowds to join a group of people looking to make energy supply as reliable and efficient as possible.
November 28, 2024
Amid the hullaballoo about #netzero and its effects on the UK economy, I visited a group of low-carbon innovators to see how they’re making energy more sustainable and efficient for future generations.
April 14, 2024
Efforts are being made to tempt pension fund managers back to London equities. That includes a Government push to make pension funds publicly disclose how much they invest in UK businesses compared to those overseas.
March 19, 2024
Last week a Government scheme to promote heat pumps for homes was delayed by 12 months. Days later, the National Audit Office urged ministers to support the rollout ‘in a way that minimises the long-term costs to both taxpayers and consumers’.
A great privilege for our take on the UK ground-mounted solar market to appear in PV Europe magazine
March 6, 2024
Attending day 1 of Futurebuild 2024 yesterday I was struck by the large numbers and the buzzy vibe. And the crowd was bigger than it looked – the two or three events happening as I arrived were pretty packed. More here: https://bit.ly/49ZTAIv
January 8, 2024
Solar PV is taking off in the UK, and 2024 is shaping up to be the best year yet for the technology. Let’s look at some of the factors driving the transition.
September 18, 2023
As PR advisers working in the green economy, we’re as likely to be asked how to communicate an organisation’s sustainability as what it actually means.
What a brilliant night at Re-Tech Drinks – ‘Bringing together good people in Renewables and Technology the Southwest ‘re-tech’ community’. The event did what it said on the tin.
November 8, 2022
Allerton Communications is growing. We’re seeking a resourceful Digital Communications Executive to serve our low-carbon economy etc clients.
September 6, 2022
A renewable-energy consultant told me of two engineers working in UK industry some years ago who discussed a tricky technical issue that could be addressed in one of two ways.
March 8, 2021
Life and work are changing, and amid the shifting landscape, effective engagement with stakeholders is vital. The past year shows how much we can achieve away from the office. Now, as the economy starts to open up, customers, investors, staff and partners will be moving about as never before, and ultra-reliant on mobile communication.
February 17, 2021
For any company looking to make a difference in the green economy, it’s vital to think about communication. We would say this – we’ve been helping innovators in energy and sustainability to tell their story for more than 12 years.
December 31, 2020
Miracle on 34th Street is considered a must-see film at this time of year. (‘Christmas’ was omitted from the title for the May 1947 release.) The triple-Oscar winner is a seasonal box of delights that once opened, reveals profound truths about public relations – and they apply today. These address leadership, brand authenticity, mental health, […]
Which type of PR should come first in the life of a business – B2B or B2C? Peter Curtain* reports. Attention growth companies – want to get better known? First, start building a network – then, and only then, start addressing consumers.
April 21, 2020
Earth Day, a calendar date observed worldwide on 22 April to show support for environmental protection, is a great reminder of some of the campaigners who’ve alerted us to the urgent need to care for our planet.
April 16, 2020
The past four weeks look set to alter society for years, with huge impact on the economy. Peter Curtain reflects on these changes and offers some thoughts on communication in the post-coronavirus world 1. We’re all global now. A virus that emerged from live-animal markets in the regional Chinese city of Wuhan became big when […]
January 23, 2020
In this Financial Director article, Peter Curtain of Allerton Communications highlights the huge impact concerns about the environment are starting to have both on investment and the wider business world, and suggests how firms can act.
Regulatory news is a vital tool in investor relations. Also important is generating media interest and coverage. It’s great to excel at these channels – but they’re only part of the picture.
July 9, 2019
Allerton Communications, a boutique corporate and financial PR firm specialising in energy, sustainability and growth companies, is expanding.
Allerton's Peter Curtain shares his views on what press regulation proposals mean for PR
March 23, 2016
We’ve been catching up with some advisers on a visit to the Northwest of England and one thing is clear – investors are fighting hard for the best deals. As one professional told us: “There’s massive demand for quality assets among private equity investors. They have full-time teams scouting around the country, talking to potential […]
February 3, 2016
Peter Curtain of Allerton is proud to have joined the People & Communities Technical Committee of Watef, the Water Efficiency Network, and looks forward to making a contribution to this great initiative.
February 1, 2016
Energy Matters - read issue 11 of highly informative magazine on renewables, utilities and more from our client CKD Galbraith here.
January 29, 2016
Allerton Communications has been shortlisted along with our client CKD Galbraith in the industry-leading PR Moment Awards for our work producing Energy Matters. This is a great accolade and we're very proud.
November 30, 2015
Allerton Communications is praised in a key case study by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the prestigious professional and training body, for producing the Energy Matters magazine and e-zine for our client CKD Galbraith.
June 26, 2014
They used to say about banks that the best time to start one was 20 years ago – the point being, lenders make so much money, think what you’ve missed in the meantime. In rather the same way, I often advise companies to start effective communications as soon as they can – think what you can achieve when people understand your business.
May 19, 2014
There’s no shortage of advice on communications but here are 10 rules to help you get your message across to both investors and other important targets.
April 7, 2014
People get excited about stock market flotations because they are (or should be) an opportunity to make money – this applies primarily to new investors of course, but management and the original investors may also be out to cash in some of their holdings.
