News – Announcement
10 AI-powered solutions supercharging clean energy systems in the UK (11/06/2025)
June 11, 2025
Introducing the second Manchester Prize: Clean Energy Systems finalist cohort
At the heart of the UK’s clean energy revolution, ten trailblazing teams have emerged as finalists of the second Manchester Prize. Each brings a unique blend of creativity, technology, determination and roadmaps to scale – focusing on tackling the pressing challenge of carbon emissions.
The cohort represents a range of approaches to supporting the UK with net-zero efforts in the coming years; from outside-in heating (non-invasive retrofits) and heat-loss mapping from the sky (supporting social housing and buildings to become heat retentive and slash living costs), to technology which enables hyper-efficient steel and concrete plants, smart EV logistics and AI-powered solar panel up-cycling. The teams demonstrate the calibre of ideas, innovations and AI opportunities we have in the UK. Each one approaches the same issue – too much carbon in the atmosphere – from a different viewpoint, and each makes a compelling case for how to approach fixing it.
118 teams applied for a chance to compete for the £ 1 million prize – ten have been successful. The teams were selected by the expert Manchester Prize judging panel, which showcases a great understanding of the technical and commercial factors needed to take ideas to impact. Judges deliberated on the most promising ideas based on their ability to demonstrate carbon emission reductions in the near term, the likelihood of sustainable development, and the future impact these solutions would have on the UK government’s aims in this area.
Over the next ten months, the teams will sprint towards the goal of the prize: significant carbon emission reduction by 2030. Teams will work on their solutions, developing the technical and commercial elements necessary to achieve as much impact as possible in as small a time frame as they can. Have an impact – fast.
The prize is designed and funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and delivered by Europe’s leading challenge prize experts, Challenge Works.
DSIT and Challenge works are supporting the teams to do their best by offering funding (£100K, access to free computing power £60K and a tranche of business development and technical support along the way).
Who are the finalists?
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Agent Net Zero
Agent Net Zero is an innovative AI system that helps industrial companies become more sustainable by analyzing their environmental impact in real-time.
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BiofuelAI
BiofuelAi brings cutting-edge AI and machine learning to the biofuel industry, optimising complex, variable processes in real time.
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Carbon Re
Cement forms the foundation of our modern world but it has a sustainability problem – it is responsible for around 8% of global CO₂ emissions. Carbon Re is tackling this challenge.
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Cavolo
Cavolo uses advanced AI to make city deliveries more efficient and eco-friendly. The system helps businesses switch from traditional delivery vans to Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs).
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Deep.Optimiser-PhyX
Deep.Meta is tackling carbon emissions in the steel industry with an AI-powered Digital Twin – a smart digital replica of the production process that combines physics and machine learning to optimise furnace operations.
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DRIVE
DRIVE (Deep Reinforcement learning for Intelligent Vehicle and Energy optimisation) helps big fleets like vans, trucks, and buses switch to electric by managing vehicles, chargers, and schedules with smart software.
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EnergyWall
EnergyWall upgrades a building’s walls, gently warming or cooling homes from the outside, turning bricks into radiators that maintain a comfortable internal temperature all year round.
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Green Loops
Green Loops tackles the challenge of recycling end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) cells by creating high-efficiency solar panels from recycled materials.
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Grid Stability
Grid Stability uses AI and machine learning to quickly analyse power grid stability as more low-carbon technologies like wind, solar, EVs and heat pumps connect.
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RaThPAs
RaThPAs by Kestrix uses AI and thermal drones to map heat loss across entire neighbourhoods, acting as fast, 3D energy surveys from the sky.
Watch this space for updates as the teams progress, and stay tuned for the announcement of the winning team in March 2026.
