Research Councils UK
Energy Programme
For a Low Carbon Energy Future
Samantha Riches
The Energy Landscape
Public Sector organisations working together to provide coordinated
activity and a complete innovation chain. Coordinated through the Low
Carbon Innovation Group led by DECC.
Regional
Applied research
and development
Demonstration
Pre-commercial
deployment
Devolved Administrations
RDA Schemes
National
Research Councils
Technology Strategy
Board
Energy Technologies
Institute
Carbon Trust
Environmental
Transformation Fund
European
Energy Generation Knowledge Transfer Network disseminating
information and providing funding advice.
Research
Framework
Programme
The Research Councils UK
Energy Programme
7 Research Councils under the RCUK umbrella.
Each research council funds world class research and training in
their area through a number of mechanisms.
However the big research challenges over the next 10 to 20 years
require novel, multidisciplinary approaches in order to tackle them.
To achieve this there are seven cross council programmes
coordinate the delivery of multidisciplinary research in priority
areas.
– Ageing: lifelong health and wellbeing
– Digital Economy
– Energy
–
–
–
–
Food Security
Global uncertainties; security for all in a changing world
Living with environmental change
NanoScience through Engineering to Application
The Research Councils UK
Energy Programme
The Research Councils working together to plan, develop and deliver
energy research and training within a common strategic framework.
The Councils working together
strategically over the last three
spending reviews.
Brings together all our energyrelated activities.
High level input from a Scientific
Advisory Committee: industry,
academic, TSB, DECC & BIS
representation.
Links to other Research Council
priority themes such as Living with
Environmental Change and Global
Uncertainties.
STFC
BBSRC
Working
together
across the
Councils to
plan and
support
NERC energy
research
and training
EPSRC
ESRC
Mission
To position the UK to meet its energy and environmental targets and
policy goals through high quality research and postgraduate training.
Key Targets:
80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.
Increases in energy efficiency.
Drivers:
Tackling climate change by reducing carbon dioxide
emissions both within the UK and abroad.
Ensuring energy security.
Ensuring energy affordability.
Our Objectives
To support a full spectrum of
Energy research to help the
UK meet the objectives and
targets set out in the 2007
Energy White Paper
To work in partnership to
contribute to the research and
postgraduate training needs of
energy-related business and
other key stakeholders
To increase the international
visibility and level of
international collaboration within
the UK energy research
Portfolio.
To expand the UK research
capacity in energy-related
areas.
Investment Routes
Funding through universities / institutes
Managed and responsive mechanisms
– use independent expert guidance to help us make investment
decisions
Partnership with industry and other stakeholders
– publicise our involvement
– do not enter into exclusive agreements
All Councils Commitment Portfolio September 2009
Total portfolio £567M
Climate Change
2%
Social, economic and policy
2%
Marine
1%
Whole Systems
8%
Wind
2%
Solar
9%
Bioenergy
7%
Nuclear Fission
7%
Ground Heat
1%
Energy Efficiency Industry
5%
Nuclear Fusion
11%
Energy Efficiency Domestic
7%
Power electronics
3%
Combustion
3%
Conventional Plant
Oil and Gas
2%
1%
Carbon capture and storage
6%
Sustainable networks
(renewables
6%
Transport
6%
Energy Storage
2%
Fuel Cells
4%
Hydrogen
3%
Note: excludes ETI
EPSRC Energy Portfolio showing Training
Fellowships
2%
Training
16%
Core Energy Programme
53%
Responsive Mode
20%
Other Managed
Programmes
9%
Working In Partnership
With business, government, academia and other organisations to achieve
major advances in energy research, development and demonstration.
Research Consortia building with
Industry – e.g. SUPERGEN.
Strategic Alignment e.g. Nuclear letter
of Arrangement Group.
Direct partnerships / joint activities e.g
E.ON, EDF, Sustrans, ABB, Scottish
Power.
Collaboration with public sector
partners – ETI, TSB, Carbon Trust,
DECC, Defra, DFID, DfT, BIS.
International collaborations e.g. India,
China, US
Examples of Current Activities
SUPERGEN £62m
– 14 consortia, 38 academic partners, 80+ business and other collaborators.
– Currently undergoing renewal to ‘hub’ structure (networks, marine and
bioenergy first to go over)
CCS
– CCS network (www.ukccsc.co.uk)
– Consortia in ecosystems impact of geological storage
Grand Challenges
– Transport and networks
UKERC (http://www.ukerc.ac.uk)
– Focal point for UK research in sustainable energy
– Independent and whole systems aproach drawing
on engineering, economics, physical environmental
and social sciences.
– Summer schools
Capacity Building
Providing focused support for training centres in our priority areas
(£50M investment). With over 100 collaborators.
Centres for Doctoral Training:
7 multidisciplinary centres bringing together diverse areas of expertise to train
scientists and engineers with the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle
today’s challenges covering:
Whole Systems
Nuclear Fission and Fusion
Renewables
Energy Demand Reduction
Low Carbon technologies.
Industrial Doctorate Centres:
5 centres each equipping 50 students with the business skills they require to
turn pioneering ideas into products and services covering:
Nuclear Engineering
Energy Demand Reduction
Transport and the Environment
Urban Sustainability and Resilience
Carbon Capture and Storage.
Public engagement
An integral part of our programme. We aim to…
Ensure that the Energy Programme decision making is informed by public
attitudes, and that research is commissioned with an awareness of societal issues.
Encourage researchers funded by the programme to engage with the public and to
participate in activities that benefit the relationship between science and society,
and support and reward those who do so.
Increase public awareness of the developments, achievements and impacts that
flow from Energy Research.
Engage young people with contemporary research to enhance their experience of
science, encouraging more to pursue science studies beyond 16 and follow R&D
careers, and enabling more to act as informed citizens.
Public Engagement
Next Steps in 2010
A review into existing literature regarding public
attitudes to low carbon energy.
Increased emphasis in SAC advice
Workshops for researchers
CDT network
Current and Forthcoming Activities
Structure for successor to SUPERGEN to be announced and first phase
commissioned (with TSB) – networks, marine, bioenergy
Transport Grand Challenges.
– Energy storage in transport – call summer 2010
– Understanding incentives for transport behaviour change – ideas factory
Nov/Dec 2010
Capacity Building: CDT network, annual meeting of energy CDT
administrators and directors.
Public Engagement: Research synthesis. Workshops planned for early
2011
International: Joint programmes planned with China, India
Nuclear – geo-waste.
Networks grand challenge – preparing the UKs energy infrastructure for
2050
–
–
–
–
Flexible grids
Uncertainty and complexity
Integrated infrastructure
Game changing network technologies
Other Relevant Activities
Mathematics Underpinning Digital Economy and Energy
– Up to £5 million. It is anticipated that between 7 and 12 proposals will
be funded
Objectives
– To support novel and ambitious research with potential application to
research challenges in DE and Energy mission programmes.
– To support cross-disciplinary collaborations that develop and apply
novel mathematical tools and techniques to provide solutions to the
research challenges of the DE and Energy programmes.
– To promote greater engagement and knowledge exchange between
the mathematical sciences research community, other disciplines and
the application areas.
Call closes 4pm on Thursday 1st July 2010.
If you have any questions regarding the call please contact:
Vivienne Blackstone (vivienne.blackstone@epsrc.ac.uk)
Further information
www.rcuk.ac.uk/energy
International Review of Energy
The review will consist of data analysis, a public consultation
and input from an international panel of experts. The Review
will be used to benchmark the strength of UK research
activity in the area of energy compared to other research in
this area around the world.
Panel visit w/c 24th Oct 2010
samantha.riches@epsrc.ac.uk
Energy-related CDTs and contacts
Wind Energy Systems (Strathclyde) – Neil Bateman
Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and their applications (Birmingham) – Samantha
Riches
Interdisciplinary energy research – E-Futures (Sheffield) – Samantha
Riches
Technologies for a Low Carbon Future (Leeds) – Jacqui Williams
Efficient Fossil Energy Technologies (Nottingham) – Jacqui Williams
Nuclear fission research, science and technology DTC (Nuclear
FiRST) (Manchester) – Stephen Elsby
IDC in nuclear engineering (Manchester) – Stephen Elsby
Energy demand reduction and built environment (UCL) – Dave Holtum
Energy Futures Lab (Imperial) – Nick Cook
Fusion Doctoral Training Network (York) – Andrew Wright
Multidisciplinary Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy (Durham) –
Andrew Wright
Centre in Sustainability for engineering and energy (Surrey) – Dave
Holtum
Energy-related CDTs and EPSRC contacts
Wind Energy Systems (Strathclyde) – Neil Bateman
Hydrogen,
Fuel
Cells
and their
applications (Birmingham) – Samantha
Energy-related
CDTs
and EPSRC
contacts
Wind Energy Systems (Strathclyde) – Neil Bateman
Riches
Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and their applications (Birmingham) – Samantha
Interdisciplinary
energy research – E-Futures (Sheffield) – Samantha
Riches
Interdisciplinary energy research – E-Futures (Sheffield) – Samantha
Riches
Riches
Technologies
Low Carbon
Future
(Leeds)
Technologies for afor
LowaCarbon
Future (Leeds)
– Jacqui
Williams – Jacqui Williams
Efficient Fossil
Energy
Technologies
(Nottingham) (Nottingham)
– Jacqui Williams – Jacqui Williams
Efficient
Fossil
Energy
Technologies
Nuclear fission research, science and technology DTC (Nuclear
Nuclear
fission research,
science and technology DTC (Nuclear
FiRST) (Manchester)
– Stephen Elsby
IDC in nuclear
engineering (Manchester)
– Stephen
FiRST)
(Manchester)
– Stephen
ElsbyElsby
Energy demand reduction and built environment (UCL) – Dave Holtum
IDC
in nuclear
– Stephen Elsby
Energy
Futures Labengineering
(Imperial) – Nick(Manchester)
Cook
Fusion Doctoral
Training
Network (York)
Andrew
Wright
Energy
demand
reduction
and–built
environment
(UCL) – Dave Holtum
Multidisciplinary Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy (Durham) –
Energy
Futures Lab (Imperial) – Nick Cook
Andrew Wright
Centre inDoctoral
Sustainability
for engineering
and energy
(Surrey)
– Dave Wright
Fusion
Training
Network
(York)
–
Andrew
Holtum
Multidisciplinary Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy (Durham) –
Andrew Wright
Centre in Sustainability for engineering and energy (Surrey) – Dave
Holtum
Programme Contacts
Neil Bateman
International Review of Energy, Future Supergen, International Development Research
E-mail: neil.bateman@epsrc.ac.uk
Nick Cook
Transport, Conventional Energy, Geoengineering
E-mail: nick.cook@epsrc.ac.uk
Hannah Foreman
Bioenergy
E-mail: hannah.foreman@epsrc.ac.uk
Stephen Elsby
Senior Sector Manager, Nuclear Fission
E-mail: Stephen.elsby@epsrc.ac.uk
David Holtum
Energy Demand Reduction, Climate Change
E-mail: david.holtum@epsrc.ac.uk
Samantha Riches
Energy Networks and Infrastructure, Renewable Energy, Public Engagement in Energy
E-mail: samantha.riches@epsrc.ac.uk
Jacqui Williams
Senior Energy Manager, Carbon Capture and Storage, Communications, Evidence of impact
E-mail: jacqui.williams@eprsrc.ac.uk
Andrew Wright
Senior Energy Strategy Manager, Energy Technologies Institute Interface, Fusion
E-mail: andrew.wright@epsrc.ac.uk
Networks Grand Challenge
Overarching Grand Challenge.
The 4 themes are how we plan to do it.
Looking for large multidisciplinary
collaborative approaches to address a
combination of these themes
Call out in the summer with an expected
end date of Sept/Oct. Funding to be
announced March 2011
Pioneering a Low Carbon Future
£567 million
invested in skills,
research and
knowledge transfer
£84 million
for doctoral
training
£483 million
for research
grants
Partnering with ETI: links with energy
programme research including:
Offshore Wind Projects:
– 4 projects announced (helm, Nova, Deep Water,
Condition monitoring) with links to SUPERGEN
Wind energy technologies consortia.
Marine
– 3 projects announced (ReDAPT, PerAWat,
Wetmate Connector) with links to SUPERGEN
Marine consortia led by Edinburgh.
CCS
– National storage capacity appraisal links to
research at 5 universities/institutes
12 Universities and Research Institutes are
receiving about one third of ETI funding awarded
in 2009.
EPSRC representatives on working groups, Programme
Management Board, Technical Committee and Board.
International visibility & collaboration
Sustaining global leadership position in energy research
through international cooperation and collaboration.
How we do it …
Examples of activities include:
Four joint calls with China in renewable energies, cleaner
fossil fuels, CCS technologies, solar & fuel cells - £15M of
UK funding.
Joint initiatives with India in solar (£10M) & civil nuclear
(£1.2M).
Scoping joint training programme with US on nuclear.
Support for international development energy research.
Planned joint £12M initiative with India – Bridging the
Urban & Rural Divide – 2010/11.
SUPERGEN
Supporting research in sustainable power and generation.
£62m of support from the Energy
Programme and with the
Carbon Trust
14 consortia.
38 academic partners.
80+ business and other
collaborators.
Approach reviewed and wide
consultation carried out. Move
planned in future to “hub”
approach, with associated
network and open calls for grand
challenges. Networks, marine and
bioenergy to be the first to move
to new model from 2010/11.
Carbon Capture and Storage
Supporting the UK’s commitment to cleaner coal power generation.
£38M of CCS current research and capacity building
projects.
Recent activities:
– Industrial Doctoral Training Centre in CCS.
– £6.3M support with E.ON for 4 consortia proposals
in carbon capture and transport.
– £3M of support for CCS projects in collaboration
with China.
– Network to take forward the work of UKCCSC
(£1M)
– Consortia in ecosystems impacts of geological
carbon storage, and CCS whole systems (£3M)
– Workshop in China in November 2009.
Current activities:
– Call with NSFC (China) closed April 2010
– US workshops in May 2010
Energy in Transport
Growing our portfolio in Transport Research.
Walking and Cycling: Strategic Partnership with Sustrans.
– Measuring and evaluating the travel, physical activity and carbon impacts
of the Connect2 initiative:
Understanding walking and cycling.
Visions of the role of Walking and Cycling in 2030.
Currently discussing follow up activities.
Airport Operations: £3.1m of projects supported following an Ideas
Factory held with DfT input:
– all aspects of Airport Operations from the landing of aircraft, air
traffic control, terminal building thermal management and
transfers of passengers to and from the airport.
Low Carbon Shipping: £2.3m of new projects
Transport Challenge being scoped for a call.
UK Energy Research Centre
£28m of support from the Energy Programme.
Focal point for UK research on sustainable energy.
Independent, whole-systems approach.
Bridge between energy research and business, policymakers and
international energy research community.
Phase II now underway.
Highlights Include:
Input to energy white papers (including modelling input).
Intermittency report.
Energy Research Atlas / Road mapping.
Meeting place including G8 meeting.
Energy 2050 scenarios.
Summer schools.