MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th June, 2023) The UK government said on Tuesday it will allocate 4.3 million Pounds ($5.4 million) to develop a space-based solar power station capable of collecting energy from the Sun and sending it to Earth.
"Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps will announce the leading UK universities and technology companies receiving a share of �4.3 million government funding to drive forward innovation in the sector. Spaced-based solar power collects energy from the Sun using panels on satellites and beaming it safely back to earth with wireless technology," the government said in a statement.
The technology is expected to increase energy security in the United Kingdom and reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels, the statement read. Besides, it will provide year-round power to UK homes and drive down electricity bills.
The government funding will be shared among the country's leading technology research institutions, such as the University of Cambridge, Queen Mary University, the University of Bristol and others, the statement said.
The United States and Japan are also developing similar technologies. Earlier this month, a group of scientists at the California Institute of Technology said they had successfully transmitted solar power to Earth from space for the first time.
