Research Councils UK Energy Programme

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Research Councils UKEnergy Programme

• For a Low Carbon Energy Future
• Samantha Riches

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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.
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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

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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 energy-related
  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.

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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.

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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.
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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

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Note excludes ETI
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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

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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

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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 todays 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.

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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 RD careers, and enabling more to act as
  informed citizens.

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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

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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

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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_at_epsrc.ac.uk)

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Further informationwww.rcuk.ac.uk/energy
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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

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samantha.riches_at_epsrc.ac.uk
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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

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Energy-related CDTs and EPSRC 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 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

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Programme Contacts

• Neil Bateman International Review of Energy,
  Future Supergen, International Development
  ResearchE-mail neil.bateman_at_epsrc.ac.uk
• Nick CookTransport, Conventional Energy,
  GeoengineeringE-mail nick.cook_at_epsrc.ac.uk
• Hannah Foreman BioenergyE-mail 
  hannah.foreman_at_epsrc.ac.uk
• Stephen ElsbySenior Sector Manager, Nuclear
  FissionE-mail Stephen.elsby_at_epsrc.ac.uk
• David HoltumEnergy Demand Reduction, Climate
  ChangeE-mail david.holtum_at_epsrc.ac.uk
• Samantha Riches Energy Networks and
  Infrastructure, Renewable Energy, Public
  Engagement in EnergyE-mail samantha.riches_at_epsrc
  .ac.uk
• Jacqui WilliamsSenior Energy Manager, Carbon
  Capture and Storage, Communications, Evidence of
  impactE-mail jacqui.williams_at_eprsrc.ac.uk
• Andrew WrightSenior Energy Strategy Manager,
  Energy Technologies Institute Interface,
  FusionE-mail andrew.wright_at_epsrc.ac.uk

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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

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483 million for research grants
84 million for doctoral training
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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.
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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.

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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.

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Carbon Capture and Storage
Supporting the UKs 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

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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.

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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.