SWAMSEA, Wales - A new pilot manufacturing facility in Wales is developing coated metal and glass that will store and release energy. The pilot production line at Baglan Energy Park, near Port Talbot, Wales, is working with smart coatings to make a major contribution to renewable energy targets. The technology focuses on new products that will turn buildings into power stations.

The production unit at SPECIFIC, the Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC), led by Swansea University, will develop functional coated steel and glass products to incorporate into existing and new buildings, enabling walls and roofs to generate, store and release energy. The IKC combines academic and industrial expertise. In addition to Swansea University, it includes partnerships with a number of university groups and multi-nationals such as Tata Steel, BASF and NSG Pilkington. Its open-innovation approach relies on engineers, scientists and business people working together under one roof to develop and test technology.

The five-year project at SPECIFIC is backed by funding from the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Technology Strategy Board.