This startup thinks quantum computers can solve tough climate problems – early trials show promise

Quantum computing has long promised to revolutionise everything from cryptography to materials science. The question has always been when. According to UK startup Phasecraft, the answer is sooner than you might think.

Founded in 2019 by Ashley Montanaro, Toby Cubitt, and John Morton, Phasecraft blends classical and quantum computing to create algorithms that can already run on today’s imperfect quantum machines.

Early trials

Early tests with the UK’s National Energy System Operator (NESO) show its new software platform Mondrian can speed up complex processes – like power exchanges and islanding sections of the grid – by up to 1,000 times when compared to traditional computers.

“Energy grids are getting bigger, more complicated, and are drawing from many more sources than when they were built on fossil fuels. Managing those systems is becoming more and more difficult,” Montanaro tells Impact Loop in an interview.

Quantum leap

Quantum computers handle certain kinds of problems very differently from classical computers. Instead of checking one possibility at a time, they can explore many possibilities simultaneously using the bizarre sub-atomic phenomena of quantum superposition and entanglement.

“There are situations where grid operators need to rapidly balance supply and demand, redirect power, or isolate sections, but currently that could take hours using classical computers,” he explains. “Quantum systems could do it in a matter of seconds.”

Only the beginning

The NESO trial was kickstarted with a £1.2m Quantum Catalyst Fund award from the UK government. Phasecraft is now working with industrial and academic partners to expand Mondrian’s reach.

“We’re only just scratched the surface of quantum computing's potential in solving complex climate challenges,” Ashley Montanaro, co-founder and CEO of Phasecraft, tells Impact Loop.

Phasecraft, which spun-out from research at University College London (UCL) and the University of Bristol, recently raised €29m in a Series B funding round led by Plural and Playground Global.

Quantum in climate tech

While still in its early stages, quantum startups are increasingly attracting attention from impact investors, drawn by the promise that the technology could speed-up everything from EV battery development to climate modelling. World Fund, for example, has invested millions in IQM, Europe’s best-funded quantum hardware startup.

However, the green credentials of quantum computing still largely remain unproven, as Impact Loop previously explored.