BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt explored the work of RheEnergise, two of whose co-founders are Darwin alumni, on Friday’s Today programme. The company was also featured on BBC Breakfast.
RheEnergise is working to decarbonise the UK’s energy systems through an innovative pumped storage technology, which can scale with the needs of the energy transition to increase the country’s energy storage capacity.
The company’s Chief Technology Officer Tamás Bertényi completed his PhD in Aeronautical Engineering in 2001 at Darwin, where he met Richard Cochrane, then working towards an MPhil at the Martin Centre for Sustainable Buildings and Cities. The pair collaborated over the next two decades, before forming RheEnergise in 2021. Richard very sadly passed away in May 2023, following a battle with motor neurone disease.
“I met him (I can picture it in my mind!) sitting in the dining hall on his first day and, as so often happens at Darwin, we instantly hit it off and became best friends,” recalled Tamás.
“Over the years we played sports together, shared a house, propped up the Darwin bar, travelled the world, and did many businesses together before we co-founded RheEnergise.”
Listen to the programme from 1hr 23mins.
