New Europe, New Energy Conference

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New Europe, New Energy Conference

• Open University Conference Centre, Milton Keynes
• 26 September 2006
• Prof Jim Skea, Research Director, UK Energy
  Research Centre

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THE UK ENERGY RESEARCH LANDSCAPE

• Energy Technologies Institute
• Public-private initiative, already includes BP,
  Shell, EON, EDF Energy
• Announced April 2006, prospectus issued September
  2006
• joint venture company at a host institution
• 10 year life, aiming for 100m pa (50/50
  public-private) by 2008-09
• Scope everything but nuclear, focus on rapid
  commercial deployment
• Environmental Transformation Fund
• Announced June 2006
• operated jointly by DTI/Dept of the Environment
• Focus on renewable technology and other green
  technologies
• Energy Research Partnership
• Launched January 2006
• public-private partnership promoting
  co-ordination of activity
• co-chaired by Chief Scientific Adviser, EON.UK
  CEO
• Research Councils Energy Programme (RCEP)
• Established April 2005
• led by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
  Council.
• funding rising from 40m pa to 70m pa
• DTI Technology Programme and others

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UK Public Support for Energy Innovation
Demonstration
Research
Development
Deployment
Gap? Partly filled by regional initiatives
Renewables Obligation (for example)
Energy Technology Institute
Research Councils Energy Programme
Environmental Transformation Fund
Energy Research Partnership
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RESEARCH COUNCILS ENERGY PROGRAMME

• EPSRC SUPERGEN Initiative
• Marine energy Photovoltaic materials Excitonic
  solar cells Biomass, wind
• Future network technologies Highly distributed
  power systems Energy storage energy
  infrastructure
• Hydrogen Fuel cells biofuel cells
• power plant lifetime extension
• UK Energy Research Centre
• NERC Towards a Sustainable Energy Economy
  Programme
• Keeping the nuclear option open
• Carbon capture and storage
• Bio-energy
• Social science lifestyle and energy market
  regulation scenarios and transitions
• Fusion Programme
• Other initiatives
• Nuclear engineering doctorates
• Energy and international development

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UKERC KEY FEATURES

• Established in late 2004 following a
  recommendation from the Chief Scientific Adviser
• diagnosis UK energy research had declined and
  become fragmented
• solution a new Centre with its own whole
  system research programme and the task of
  networking other UK activities.
• an interdisciplinary Centre established by three
  research councils Engineering and Physical
  Sciences Natural Environment Economic and
  Social
• a distributed centre involving a collaboration
  between eight universities/research institutes
• headquarters at Imperial College

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UKERC RESEARCH AND NETWORKING

• Vertical themes
• demand reduction (Oxford)
• future sources of energy (Edinburgh)
• infrastructure and supply (Manchester)
• Cross-cutting themes
• systems and modelling (Policy Studies Institute)
• environmental sustainability (Centre for Ecology
  and Hydrology)
• Materials (Imperial College)

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CENTRE FUNCTIONS

• Research Atlas
• National Energy Research Network
• The Meeting Place research hotel function
• Technology and Policy Assessment
• International engagement
• Training (summer school, interdisciplinary
  studentships)

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NATIONAL ENERGY RESEARCH ATLAS an authoritative
and comprehensive account of capabilities and
unsolved research problems across the energy
domain
Research register an on-line searchable database
of energy-related awards and projects
Research landscape characterising energy-related
research activities and capabilities in the UK
(programme level)
Research roadmaps identifying the sequence of
research (and other) problems to be overcome
before new technologies can be commercially
viable
Launching, along with the National Energy
Research Network on 16 October
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REESEARCH LANDSCAPETOPIC TEMPLATE

• 1. Overview
• 2. Capabilities assessment
• 3. Basic and applied strategic research
• 4. Applied research
• 5. Development and demonstration
• 6. Networks and co-ordination activity
• 7. Research facilities and assets
• 8. EU Framework Programmes
• 9. International Initiatives

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UK Energy Research Centre
www.ukerc.ac.uk