Energy at Imperial College London | Energy Futures Lab

Welcome

Meeting the world’s growing demand for energy while reducing our collective impact on the health of the planet is among the greatest and most pressing challenges we face as a global community. To end our reliance on fossil fuels, we are required to rapidly rethink and redesign our energy systems, the materials we use, the technologies we deploy, and the policy and regulatory frameworks that govern how our societies, economies and businesses work.

At Imperial College London, we believe this transformation, unprecedented in its scale, cannot be achieved without high-quality research and evidence. As you will see in the pages that follow, Imperial is home to a thriving and diverse energy research community. Motivated by the challenge of realising what we call the Transition to Zero Pollution, a vision of a truly sustainable world, our scientists and engineers are at the forefront of the energy transition, breaking new ground in the development of green technologies and processes and the discovery and application of sustainable materials. Our policy experts, meanwhile, are playing a critical role in reshaping the governance landscape.

Energy Futures Lab sits at the heart of this thriving research community. We are Imperial’s global energy institute, established in 2005 to promote multidisciplinary energy research, facilitate collaboration with industry and governments, and provide unique educational opportunities. The institute is a key support hub for Imperial research staff; our team at South Kensington works with colleagues across the College to initiate new programmes that address major energy challenges and to create real impact from ongoing projects.

Fulfilling the potential of the energy transition also requires a workforce with the right skills and expertise. Through our MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures, we aim to inspire and enable the next generation of energy sector leaders. The one-year course provides students with a grounding in the

major features of energy issues and technologies, as well as their implications for policy and economics. Our alumni can be found in many of the world’s leading energy companies and at the helm of some exciting new energy start-ups.

We are incredibly proud of the work the Imperial community is doing to accelerate the energy transition and improve access to clean energy around the world, helping to build more prosperous, secure, and sustainable societies. We hope this booklet will give you an insight into the breadth of the energy-related activities being undertaken at Imperial College London and some of the ways that you can get involved, whether you’re a prospective student, researcher, policymaker, industry stakeholder or member of the public.

Professor Anna Korre and Professor Peter Childs Co-Directors, Energy Futures Lab

About Energy Futures Lab

These issues are too big to be tackled by individual academics or teams, so the Institutes serve to harness and drive multidisciplinary approaches, bringing together experts with a wide range of specialisms. The Institutes enable and support crossfaculty collaboration, while engaging externally with policymakers, businesses, consumers and international partners to tackle these critical issues.

Founded in 2005, Energy Futures Lab is Imperial’s oldest Global Challenge Institute. The Institute was set up to address global energy challenges by identifying and leading new opportunities to serve industry, government and society at large through high quality research and advocacy for positive change. The institute aims to promote energy innovation and advance systemic solutions for a sustainable energy future by bringing together the science, engineering and policy expertise at Imperial and fostering collaboration with a wide variety of external partners.

Energy Futures Lab is led by two co-directors and its work is informed and supported by our Research Theme Champions and Leads alongside an Advisory Board, Strategy Board, and the institute’s staff.

Members of the Kucernak Lab researching novel electrochemical diagnostic techniques for clean energy devices.

Imperial College London’s Global Challenge Institutes were created to address some of the most important issues facing the world today.

OUR MISSION:

Excellence in research, innovation and education through a culture of multidisciplinary working that integrates the science, engineering and policy expertise at Imperial and in collaboration with industry and other partners to produce systemic solutions.

Imperial is home to the greatest concentration of high-impact research of any major UK university

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023: 1st for research quality, University of the Year for Graduate Employment

Our culture and values

Imperial College values

Respect: We treat each other fairly, with kindness and respect, valuing each person’s individual experience, perspectives and contribution

Ambition: We work together, cultivating an inclusive and impactful College community

Guided by Imperial College London’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy, we aim to fully integrate EDI into everything we do. We recognise that this requires us to continually evaluate and, where necessary, adapt or change our policies, procedures, working practices and materials. In doing so, we aim to listen to and learn from our Imperial community as well as external partners and collaborators.

We also recognise that our responsibility extends beyond the walls of Imperial. As a leading UK energy institute, we will play our part in making the energy sector reflective of the society it serves, improving equality and inclusion in the industry’s workplaces and inspiring a new generation of scientists and engineers from a diverse range of backgrounds.

We will always endeavour to use our influence to effect positive change in academia, research and industry and, where appropriate, we will share our learnings so others can benefit.

Excellence: We strive for quality in everything we do, taking pride in our work, delivering impact through our commitment

Integrity: We act in a principled way, being honest and open, checking, challenging and changing our practices and behaviours when necessary.

Innovation: We become inspired by possibilities, venturing into the unknown with open minds and having the courage to embrace change

At Energy Futures Lab, we strive to nurture an inclusive culture that values and celebrates diversity, promotes equality, and respects the rights and dignity of all our staff, students, affiliates and stakeholders.

Our research strategy

The central objective of Energy Futures

Lab’s research strategy (2021-24) is to develop and support research that is of societal benefit and which enables the transition to a sustainable and low-carbon energy system.

The UK Government has legislated for a net-zero economy by 2050 and adopted the Climate Change Committee’s central recommendation in its Sixth Carbon Budget of a 78% reduction in GHG emissions (from 1990 levels) by 2035.

There is now an even greater urgency in deploying existing technologies and rapidly progressing emerging technology. Therefore, the dual goals of achieving net-zero emissions and the sustainability of energy systems form two of the foundations of Energy Futures Lab’s research strategy. The third foundation of our strategy is the digitalisation of energy systems, which we view as a key enabler in the drive for net zero and sustainability.

Digitalisation

Cross-cutting research and underpinning technology

Net-Zero

Meeting the challenge of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050

Sustainability

Across energy technologies and systems

Net Zero

Here we concentrate our efforts on the decarbonisation of energy systems and the transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the UK economy by 2050. Significant progress has been made in areas such as the electricity system, where the penetration of renewables has been steadily increasing in recent years. However, we need to include all parts of our energy systems and consider the impact of increasing complexity, including the role of consumers and society at large to achieve substantial decarbonisation. The emphasis now must be on the difficult-to-decarbonise sectors, but also on the whole-system view of holistic solutions for several sectors.

Sustainability

Sustainability in energy technologies and systems must be central to a transition to zero emissions in order to deliver a just transition that avoids any unwanted shifts in environmental impacts. This means the sustainable use of resources, i.e. materials for energy applications, and the creation of sustainable fuels, with emphasis placed on a holistic view of resources and environment.

Digitalisation

Energy Futures Lab’s third area of focus is on digitalisation and data science and looks at crosscutting research to support the advanced technologies that underpin the energy transition. It reflects the increasing importance of data science techniques and the power of data to support decision making in complex systems. As such, we include energy digitalisation as a core part of our strategy. It relates closely to the other avenues of research in the sense that advanced data science techniques can be used to further the research and make advances that would not otherwise be possible, while it also represents the deployment of digital technologies across the sector.

Researchers from the SUCCEED project, led by Imperial College London, conducting fieldwork in Iceland. The project aims to accelarate the use of carbon capture, utilisation and storage technologies by developing, testing and demonstrating measurement, monitoring and verification tools that can be used in most geological storage projects.

The Guardian’s University of the Year 2023

Our publications

Energy Futures Lab Briefing Papers

Drawing on research from across the College and beyond, the Energy Futures Lab Briefing Papers aim to bring clarity to topical energy issues. Led by Dr Aidan Rhodes, the reports provide recommendations for policymakers and other energy sector stakeholders based on thorough assessments of the evidence base. The Briefing Papers are available to download from the Energy Futures Lab website. Recent such reports include:

Materials for Energy: This Briefing Paper investigates the current availability and development of materials for the energy sector. It assesses the likelihood of supply chain issues as demand for low-carbon energy grows and examines the state of development of novel materials in the sector. The report makes policy recommendations to strengthen the security of critical material supplies.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/energy-futures-lab/ reports/briefing-papers/paper-11/

Accelerating the transition to heat pumps: This Briefing Paper explores the potential impacts and feasibility of one approach to supporting the transition to heat pumps: leveraging early adopters by measuring in-situ heat pump installation outcomes and sharing these as case studies to enable peer-to-peer learning among consumers and installers.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/energy-futures-lab/ reports/briefing-papers/paper-10/

The Future of Home Heating: This Briefing Paper explores the prospects for the future of home heating with specific reference to heat pumps and hydrogen. The advantages, challenges, and technicalities of the two technologies are investigated and a series of policy recommendations are made to accelerate the decarbonisation of the UK's heating sector.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/energy-futures-lab/ reports/briefing-papers/paper-8/

Balancing Privacy and Access to Smart Meter Data: This Briefing Paper investigates four key elements of smart meter data privacy: existing data protection regulations; the personal information embedded within smart meter data; consumer privacy concerns; and privacy-preserving techniques that could be incorporated alongside existing mechanisms to minimise or eliminate potential privacy infringements.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/energy-futures-lab/ reports/briefing-papers/paper-9/

Digitalisation of Energy: This briefing paper investigates the impact of new digital technologies on energy applications. The overarching objective is to understand the effects these technologies will have on the current energy system, the new challenges they will pose, and the policies and regulatory measures which will assist in making them a success.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/energy-futures-lab/ reports/briefing-papers/paper-5/

Energy Futures Lab White Papers

Aimed at industry stakeholders and policymakers, the Energy Futures Lab White Papers leverage the expertise of the energy community at Imperial to offer timely, impartial and academically rigorous assessments of energy technologies and reliable analysis on important energy topics. Recent White Papers include:

Net-zero GB electricity: cost-optimal generation and storage mix: Using modelling from the IDLES Programme at Imperial College London, this White Paper sets out how Britain's electricity system can be transformed to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, detailing a range of cost-efficient portfolios of electricity generation and storage technologies. The report finds the capacity of offshore wind needed to achieve net-zero electricity for Great Britain in 2035 is at least twice the existing 2030 target and that a substantial increase in the volume of energy storage is needed to support a system dominated by wind and solar energy.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/energy-futures-lab/ reports/white-papers/net-zero-gb-electricity/

Safe and sustainable lithium-ion batteries: This White Paper from Energy Futures Lab and the Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering investigates the safety and sustainability of lithium-ion batteries, exploring ways of reducing their impact on the environment and ensuring they do not pose a danger to the health of workers or users. The report calls for the implementation of sustainable procurement principles that can ensure the sourcing of battery materials with reduced environmental footprints. This requires the establishment of traceability and audit mechanisms, which also can provide essential information for end-of-life management that can contribute to the establishment of a viable circular battery economy.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/energy-futures-lab/ reports/white-papers/sustainable-batteries/

RESEARCH THEMES Policy and Innovation

Science and engineering alone cannot solve the climate crisis or ensure energy security. New technologies and services count for little without policy and regulatory frameworks that support their diffusion, promote investment, manage energy demand and protect both consumers and the natural world. Our Policy and Innovation theme reflects the need to reshape our institutions and governance systems and design new policy frameworks and strategies to unlock the full potential of the energy transition.

Working in collaboration with social scientists, economists and lawyers across the UK and around the world, Imperial’s policy experts draw on our world-leading science and engineering expertise to produce multidisciplinary research that identifies solutions to complex policy problems. Our researchers produce rigorous analysis of the economic, social and environmental implications of policy and market interventions and investment options, helping to lay the groundwork for change.

Centre for Climate Finance & Investment

Led by Professor Michael Wilkins, the Centre for Climate Finance & Investment's purpose is to unlock solutions within capital markets to address the challenges posed by global climate change. It undertakes interdisciplinary research combining academic rigour and industry relevance. Through collaboration between academics and practitioners, the centre is generating a new understanding of the risks and investment opportunities arising in this changing climate; through climate scenarios, nature based-solutions, renewable energy, and climateresilient infrastructure.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/business-school/ faculty-research/research-centres/centre-climatefinance-investment/

MIACCTS (Modelling, Integration, Assessment and Commercialisation of Clean Technological Systems)

Led by Dr Gbemi Oluleye from the Centre for Environmental Policy, MIACCTS is centred on accelerating the uptake of clean technological solutions (TS) for decarbonising industrial and domestic end-use systems. The research is divided into four streams: Modelling, Integration, Assessment and Commercialisation. The modelling stream involves development of state-of-art models from first principles, regressed data, and detailed simulations to replicate the TS. The best placements for TS in industrial systems are determined under the integration stream by mathematical optimisation and heuristics. The assessment stream involves development of novel methods for environmental, economic, technical and market potential assessments of integrated TS. The commercialisation stream develops pathways to show how TS cost reduces based on the innovation trilemma.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/o.oluleye

MODEL Motivational Design Lab

Led by Professor Sebastian Deterding, Chair in Design Engineering in the Dyson School of Design Engineering, the MODEL Motivational Design Lab explores the use of design techniques to motivate sustainable behaviours at scale, focussing on the potential of social and intrinsic motivators and material design to solve coordination and collective action problems in energy supply and demand and circular economies.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/s.deterding

System and Circular Design

Based in the Dyson School of Design Engineering, investigators in the System and Circular Design group use system thinking and the concept of circular economy to understand how to make consumption more sustainable, eventually reducing CO2 emissions across the product life cycle. One of the key focus of this group is 'Design for circular consumption (of resources such as energy)', which has immense potential for achieving the decarbonisation target. However, it is under-explored as the majority of current circular economy approaches put emphasis on the recovery and production phases, leaving out the critical consumption phase.

“Simultaneous innovations in policy and business models could accelerate the adoption of technical solutions that can decarbonise industrial energy systems.”

DR GBEMI OLULEYE, RESEARCH THEME CHAMPION (POLICY AND INNOVATION), ENERGY FUTURES LAB

RESEARCH THEMES Energy Infrastructure

From physical networks of pipelines and power cables to datadriven models of assets and plants, energy infrastructure provides the backbone of our energy systems. These systems are being transformed in response to the Net Zero imperative, geopolitical threats, and extreme weather events driven by our changing climate, creating new challenges for engineers and scientists. Our Energy Infrastructure theme encompasses a wide range of research in this field, a core area of strength for Imperial’s energy community.

Our teams are playing a central role in the design of efficient, affordable and resilient delivery and storage systems for new fuels, energy vectors, and captured greenhouse gases; in the integration of new forms of power generation onto electricity grids and the development of smart grids; and in the protection of critical infrastructure from security threats. Imperial-led innovation is helping to ensure the energy transition can be achieved with minimal disruption and at the lowest possible cost.

Advanced Heat Transfer and Storage

Led by Dr Antonis Sergis in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Advanced Heat Transfer and Storage group investigates multiscale advanced heat transfer and storage to enable sustainable applications and operations.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.sergis09

Applied Modelling & Computation Group (AMCG)

Based in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering, the Applied Modelling & Computation Group (AMCG) is committed to both the development and application of innovative modelling techniques in earth, nuclear, engineering and biomedical sciences. AMCG has core research interests in the development and application of numerical methods for fluids including ocean, atmosphere, and industrial multi-phase flows, for neutral particle radiation transport, for optimisation mathematics and its applications, and for the solution of inverse (imaging/tomographic) problems.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/earth-science/research/ research-groups/amcg/

Civil Engineering Fluid Mechanics

The Fluid Mechanics Section is one of seven groups within the five-star rated Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Imperial. It has ten academic staff members with a diverse range of research interests. These can be broadly split into two themes: coastal, waves and renewable energy; and environmental fluid mechanics.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/fluid-mechanics/research/

Clean Energy Processes Lab

Based in the Department of Chemical Engineering and led by Professor Christos Markides, conducts research on fundamental aspects of thermodynamics, fluid flow, heat and mass transfer processes, as well as their applications to a range of components, devices, technologies and systems for energy recovery, conversion and storage. Working in collaboration with industry, international research centres and universities, the group’s work covers theoretical, experimental and modelling approaches and the full range of scales from molecules to systems.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/clean-energy-processes/

Control and Power Research Group

Centre for Systems Engineering and Innovation

The Centre for Systems Engineering and Innovation (CSEI) was established in 2010 to provide a hub for work that brings systems approaches to civil infrastructure. Led by Dr Ana Mijic, the Centre’s vision is to bring systems engineering and innovation to civil infrastructure by changing how cross-sector infrastructure challenges are addressed in order to maximise resilience, safety and sustainability. The Centre advocates for an approach that sees the natural environment as all-pervasive, where the built infrastructure is inseparable from it.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/systems-engineeringinnovation/

The research programme of the Control and Power Group combines curiosity-led and applications-led research in the domains of control systems, power electronics, power systems, and smart grids. The research in Control Theory and Applications includes all aspects of control engineering needed to implement practical control systems, from analysis and design to simulation and hardware. Application fields include hybrid electric vehicles, system biology, robotics. The research in Power Electronics covers the control, conversion, transmission and harvesting of electric power. Special focus is devoted to High Voltage DC technologies and wireless power transfer systems. The research in Power Systems and Energy covers all the aspects of planning, analysis, reliability, operation and economics of the generation, transmission, and distribution of electrical energy for industrial and domestic uses. The research in Smart Grids unifies the efforts of the other three macro research areas to propose solutions which deeply integrate smart sensors, control algorithms, power systems and power electronics.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/electrical-engineering/ research/control-and-power/

Dr Ana Mijic, Director of the Centre for Systems Engineering and Innovation

Hydrodynamics laboratory

The Hydrodynamics Laboratory is located in the Civil Engineering Building on the South Kensington Campus and has a tradition of excellence in wideranging areas of fluid mechanics with civil and environmental engineering applications.

The ocean basin at Imperial is the largest researchonly facility of its kind in the UK, measuring 20m by 12m. This facility has a maximum operational water depth of 1.5m yet can accurately model both deep

and shallow water marine environments through use of an adjustable bed system. The wave-generation process is controlled through a bank of 56 numerically controlled flap-type wave paddles. These paddles allow state-of-the-art experimental conditions to be generated, including directional sea states with frequency dependent spectra. For specialist purposes, the centre of the basin has a 3.5m deep core measuring 1.2m by 1.2m– ideal for modelling catenary moorings and other deep-water operations.

Energy System Modelling

Led by Professor Goran Strbac, this group has extensive experience in advanced modelling and analysis of the operation, planning, security and economics of energy systems. The group leads the development of novel advanced analysis approaches and methodologies that have been extensively used to inform industry, governments and regulatory bodies about the role and value of emerging new technologies and systems in supporting a cost effective evolution to a smart lowcarbon energy future.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/g.strbac

Geotechnics

Led by Professor Lidija Zdravkovic, the Geotechnics group, based in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering, studies the mechanics, behaviour and properties of soils and soft rocks in order to provide real solutions to industry including tunnelling, oil and gas, infrastructure and road building. The group’s work involves laboratory-based soil element testing, numerical modelling and field monitoring. The Geotechnical Laboratories at Imperial are perhaps best known for their advanced element testing apparatus and development of experimental procedures. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/geotechnics

Dr Mirabelle Muûls, Assistant Professor in Economics at the Imperial College Business School and Co-Director of the Hitachi-Imperial Centre for Decarbonisation and Natural Climate Solutions

Non-Destructive Evaluation

Led by Professor Michael Lowe in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Non-Destructive Evaluation group is recognised as a world leader in its field, having produced several important research outcomes which are now exploited by industry, both in the UK and around the world. Since the late 1980s, the group has contributed to many areas within NDE, including ultrasonic guided waves, electromagnetics and imaging, and today has a wide range of projects continuing across a large number of fields. The group leads the UK Research Centre in NDE, consisting of 6 UK universities and 16 industrial members.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/non-destructiveevaluation/

Novel Reservoir Modelling and Simulation Group

The Novel Reservoir Monitoring, Modelling and Simulation (NORMS) group is a multidisciplinary collective of geoscientists, applied mathematicians, engineers, and experimental and computational physicists. The group develops and applies new methods to monitor and model fluid flow and transport in subsurface reservoirs and aquifers. Applications of the research are numerous and include monitoring and modelling of groundwater flow and contaminant transport, exploitation of essential metals for the energy transition, subsurface energy storage, geothermal resources and magma reservoir processes.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/earth-science/research/ research-groups/norms/

Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering

The Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering is a multi-institutional research centre of world-class departments at Imperial College London and University College London. It was inaugurated in 1989 by Professor Roger W.H. Sargent. The Sargent Centre has continued the legacy of Professor Sargent and remains a Centre of Excellence. Its academics come from chemical engineering, mathematics, physics and chemistry and are international leaders in their fields.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/process-systemsengineering/

Strategic Engineering Lab

Led by Dr Michel-Alexandre Cardin, the Strategic Engineering Lab (SEL) tackles challenges related to the design, deployment, and operations of nextgeneration engineering systems. Such systems currently accomplish vital tasks for society, for defence, energy, resource extraction, transportation, and space exploration. SEL develops tools to model uncertainty and analyse risks, support creativity, optimise systems operating under uncertainty, and support the decisionmaking process for policymakers and business leaders.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/design-engineering/ research/strategic-engineering/

Subsurface CO2 Research Group

A number of assessments suggest that the widespread storage of CO2 in deep subsurface sedimentary rocks will be needed to avoid dangerous climate change. The Subsurface CO2 Research Group, led by Dr Samuel Krevor at the Department of Earth Science & Engineering, looks at the ability to model and predict injected CO2 movement and immobilization in the subsurface to maximize the use of pore space and minimize risks of leakage to the atmosphere. The group’s research aims to answer critical questions related to the regional and global scale capacity for CO2 storage.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/earth-science/research/ research-groups/subsurface-co2-research-group/

Sustainable Gas Institute

Since 2014, the Sustainable Gas Institute has provided thought leadership and authoritative interdisciplinary evidence and analysis on the role of natural gas, hydrogen and biogas/biomethane in future low carbon energy systems. Researchers at the Institute manage, lead and deliver world-class research with our global partners across the spectrum of science, engineering, economics and business to support policymakers and industry in their decision-making. The institute is led by Professor Adam Hawkes, and its governance board is chaired by Professor Nigel Brandon.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/sustainable-gas-institute/

RESEARCH THEMES Sustainable Power

A reliable and affordable supply of low-carbon electricity is critical to the decarbonisation of economies around the world. The electrification of heating, transport and industry, until now major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, will drive increasing demand for clean power in the decades to come. In the UK and in a growing number of other countries, low-carbon energy sources like wind, solar and nuclear already provide a significant share of electricity generation, but the imperative remains to improve performance and reduce costs.

New technologies will also be needed to ensure the stability of power systems. Imperial College London has a rich portfolio of basic and applied research in sustainable power ranging from wind and solar energy to marine, bioenergy and fuel cell technologies. Through our Sustainable Power theme, we seek to drive innovation in the development of these technologies, and, by collaborating with industrial partners, demonstrate their effectiveness and scalability.

Centre for Nuclear Engineering

Led by Dr Michael Bluck, the Centre for Nuclear Engineering (CNE) is a cross-faculty centre promoting and co-ordinating nuclear energy research across Imperial in collaboration with key external partners. The Centre’s history spans back to just after the Second World War, and in the intervening time its researchers have made important contributions to the development of nuclear energy in the UK and overseas. The Centre also coordinates innovative educational programmes at all levels, both within the college and externally.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/nuclear-engineering/

Data Learning group

Led by Dr Rossella Arcucci from the Department of Earth Sciences and Engineering, the Data Learning Group is an interdisciplinary working group of researchers and students developing new technologies based on Data Assimilation and Machine Learning. The group fosters effective communication between scientists coming from different scientific disciplines and departments at Imperial College London and other institutions.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/data-science/research/ research-themes/datalearning/

Durrant Group

Led by Professor James Durrant, the Durrant Group, based in the Department of Chemistry, is developing new chemical approaches to solar energy conversion - harnessing solar energy either to produce electricity or molecular fuels. The group undertakes fundamental scientific studies of new materials and device concepts, aiming to elucidate design principles which enable technological development. Its research is based around using transient laser spectroscopies to undertake photochemical studies of light-driven electron and energy transfer reactions. Such studies are undertaken in parallel with device development and functional characterisation.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/durrant-group/

Kucernak Group

Led by Professor Anthony Kucernak, the Kucernak Group is based in the Department of Chemistry. The team specialises in the creation of novel electrochemical diagnostic techniques used in the development of clean energy devices such as low-temperature fuel cells, supercapacitors and redox flow batteries. The team studies a large number of aspects of fuel cell systems ranging from the development of new electrocatalysts, the development of new techniques to characterise and study electrocatalysts, the development of fuel cell electrodes, and the development of new methods to characterise fuel cells.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/kucernak-group/

“I’m developing materials that can use sunlight to convert water into hydrogen fuel, a fuel that burns cleanly back to water with no carbon dioxide released.”

DR ANDREAS KAFIZAS, RESEARCH THEME LEAD (SUSTAINABLE POWER –RENEWABLE FUELS), ENERGY FUTURES LAB

Load Control and Aeroelastics Lab

Led by Professor Rafael Palacios, the Load Control and Aeroelastics Laboratory, based in the Department of Aeronatics, investigates computational methods for the multidisciplinary analysis, design, optimization, and feedback control of next-generation aeroelastic air vehicles (big and small) and wind turbines. The team puts a particular emphasis on solutions that continuously modify the aerodynamic characteristics of wings and blades using real-time feedback systems and on building the computational methods necessary to both understand the problems and implement them in real applications.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/aeroelastics/about

Mattevi 2D Materials group

Led by Dr Cecilia Mattevi, the 2D Materials group investigates the science and engineering of novel 2D atomically thin materials to enable applications in energy conversion and energy storage. The group focuses on the precise synthesis of 2D materials and their three-dimensional structuring in the form of miniaturized devices to address pressing challenges in energy storage devices and energy conversion systems. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/two-dimensionalmaterials/

Plasma Physics Group

As over 99% of the universe is in a plasma state, plasma physics is a fundamental subject underpinning many wide research areas such as astrophysics, space physics, laboratory ionised gases and controlled thermonuclear fusion. One of humanity's vital quests today is to harness the power source of the sun in a controlled laboratory environment for a new source of energy. The concept originated with the groundbreaking work of Sir George Thomson in our group. Being one of the main driving forces behind plasma physics research, the group continues to engage in both aspects of intertial confinement fusion (ICF) and magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) research.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/plasma-physics/

BELOW LEFT: Professor Sandrine Heutz, Head of the Department of Materials and Professor in Functional Molecular Materials, pictured in her lab.

BELOW RIGHT: Professor James Durrant CBE pictured in his lab. Professor Durrant's research centres on the development of new chemical approaches to solar energy conversion.

Reaction Engineering and Catalytic Technology (REaCT)

Led by Professor Klaus Hellgardt, the Reaction Engineering and Catalytic Technology group is a multidisciplinary team based in the Department of Chemical Engineering. The group’s research centres on catalyst technology as well as processes which involve a combination of both reaction and separation. This work extends to the development and application of structured reactors as well as interest in the modelling of catalytic processes. The environment, energy and the incorporation of green technology also figure prominently in a number of the group’s research projects.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/reaction-engineering-andcatalytic-technology/

Smart Combustion and Elegant Fluids (SCEF)

Led by Dr Andrea Giusti in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Smart Combustion and Elegant Fluids group investigates interactions at the micro/ nano scales in fluids using both experiments and numerical simulations. Tailoring the fluid characteristics with nanomaterials and exploiting interactions with electromagnetic waves are foreseen as the two main paths for innovation of a wide range of technologies using fluids. Activities include the investigations of elecromagnetic interactions in nanofuel combustion and the study of engineered bubbles.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.giusti

Integrated Development of Low-Carbon Energy Systems

The Integrated Development of Low-Carbon Energy Systems (IDLES) programme brings together researchers from across Imperial College to provide the evidence needed to facilitate a cost-effective and secure transition to a low-carbon future. This 5-year programme, funded by EPSRC and industry partners, began in November 2018 and centres on whole-energy systems analysis; aiming to create a modelling tool that can better coordinate the complex interactions within the energy domain and indicate optimal forms of future, integrated, energy systems to policy makers. Using this approach to plan the UK’s future energy system has the potential to enable large cost savings in providing decarbonised energy, to ensure security of supply and compliance with emissions targets.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/energy-futures-lab/ idles/

Wireless Power Lab

Led by Professor Paul Mitcheson, the Wireless Power Lab at Imperial College London is a world-leading research group in the field of mid-range wireless power transfer using highly efficient, high frequency power electronics. The group holds the IP of several state-of-the-art circuit topologies that enable impressively high efficiencies (>85%) for wireless power transfer whilst allowing the device getting charged to move within a large energised area generated by the transmitter. This latter feature is crucial in applications such as dynamic charging of electric vehicles and wireless charging of biomedical implants where exact alignment between transmitter and receiver is not possible.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/wireless-power/

Professor Tim Green, Principal Investigator on the IDLES Programme at Imperial College London

“I think the biggest roadblock is the desire to do things incrementally. At some point you’ve got to make some quite big decisions.”

PROFESSOR NILAY SHAH OBE

Low-Carbon Cities and Transport

Taken together, transport and the built environment account for over a third of a global carbon dioxide emissions. Addressing these, and related problems such as air pollution, requires research and innovation across a diverse range of disciplines, from chemical engineering and materials science to civil and environmental engineering. Crucially, it also requires a deep understanding of human behaviour and how consumer choice is influenced by economic cues, social pressures, technology and other factors.

Our Low-Carbon Cities and Transport theme encompasses a wide range of important work in these fields and others. From modelling transport demand to the development of lighter, more energydense batteries for electric vehicles, Imperial researchers are at the forefront of the drive for a more sustainable transport system. Our researchers are also helping to reduce the environmental footprint of buildings, leading ground-breaking work in advanced building materials, low-carbon heating, demand-side management and energy efficiency.

Centre for Transport Studies

Led by Professor Dan Graham, the Centre for Transport Studies is one of the leading multidisciplinary transport centres in the world. The Centre comprises academic staff with backgrounds in engineering, economics and mathematics, and around 60 research staff and doctoral students. Principal areas of research include intelligent transport systems, railway operations and management, air traffic management, transport economics and urban engineering systems. The Centre actively collaborates with other universities and the international consulting industry.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/transport-studies/

Electrochemical Science and Engineering

Led by Professor Gregory Offer, the Electrochemical Science and Engineering group works at the interface between the science and engineering of electrochemical devices, including batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors. The group brings together researchers from the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Earth Science and Engineering, and Chemical Engineering as well as the Dyson School of Design Engineering. The group’s research interests include lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulphur batteries, 3D tomography and imaging, redox flow cells, PEM fuel cells, supercapacitors, technoeconomic analysis and additive manufacturing.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/electrochem-sci-eng/

MUSE group

Led by Dr Adam Hawkes and Dr Sara Giarola, the MUSE modelling team are developing a novel method to simulate energy transitions towards a low carbon world. The MUSE model uses an agent-based approach that aims to simulate real investment decision making. This differs from most models currently relied upon by decision makers by providing insight on the impact of the motivations of businesses and consumers on climate change mitigation. It can shed light on the technology options, energy mixes, policies and regulations that are most likely to be successful. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/muse-energy/

Transport and Environment Laboratory

Led by Dr Marc Stettler, the Transport and Environment Laboratory, based in the Centre for Transport Studies at the Department for Civil and Environmental Engineering, aims to advance our understanding of interactions between transport and the environment so that we can develop approaches to mitigate negative impacts in the face of growing transport activity. The group’s research spans different transport modes, uses a range of environmental monitoring and modelling approaches, and is conducted in collaboration with a number of industry and academic partners.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/transport-studies/ transport-and-environment/

Turbo Group

Led by Professor RIcardo Martinez-Bottas, the Turbo Group at Imperial College is a world-leading centre for experimental and numerical aerothermal research into turbochargers, whole engine air systems, and waste heat recovery. The group’s expertise covers areas including experimental measurement of steady and pulsating flows in turbocharger turbines; the research and testing of electrical turbochargers, superchargers and turbogenerators; the design, development and testing of novel turbocharging concepts; and modelling of hybrid and electric vehicles. The group operates a number of world-class test facilties to support turbocharger and turboexpander research and development, at both component and system level.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/turbochargers/

Urban Energy Systems

Cities are central to economic growth and social activity with a growing share of the global population. Increasingly, the need of cities to improve performance in services and infrastructure is creating not only technical, social, and business challenges, but also new opportunities. Led by Dr Aruna Sivakumar, the Urban Systems Lab undertakes high quality research in the fields of urban and cities research, in order to inform policy and the understanding of key issues affecting society. The Lab was formed in October 2015 as a cross faculty partnership between all of Imperial College London’s major Departments and Institutes and a number of external partners.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/urban-systems-lab/

“Decarbonisation of the transport system is one of the most promising means of limiting climate change and achieving net zero targets.”

DR ARUNA SIVAKUMAR, DIRECTOR, URBAN SYSTEMS LAB

RESEARCH THEMES Sustainable Fuels

The development of sustainable fuels is critical to the long-term future of many hard-to-decarbonise sectors, notably the aviation, maritime and haulage industries, each a growing source of greenhouse gas emissions globally. While not a replacement for deep emissions reductions, some industries, like the steel and cement industries, will also require the use of carbon capture technologies, coupled with storage or utilisation options (CCUS), to decarbonise in line with climate targets. Our Sustainable Fuels theme covers a wide range of work in this area from the development of biofuels and hydrogen technologies to world-leading CCUS research and education. The College is home to the largest community of CCUS researchers in the UK and its carbon capture pilot plant, stretching over four floors at the heart of the Department of Chemical Engineering, is the only facility in the world where students can learn to operate a plant built to the highest industrial standards.

Centre for Synthetic Biology

Synthetic Biology is the underpinning discipline for advances in the UK bioeconomy, currently worth around £200bn. It is a technology base that is revolutionising methods of working in the biotechnology sector and represents a major opportunity for the UK economy. The Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology (ICCSynB) provides leadership and vision for synthetic biology at Imperial College, whilst developing an open, inclusive and collaborative environment for the best interdisciplinary research and ideas to flourish.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/synthetic-biology/centre/

Clean Fossil and Bioenergy Research Group

Led by Professor Niall Mac Dowell, the Clean Fossil and Bioenergy Research Group is a diverse, world-class team leading research on the transition to a sustainable energy future. Understanding how we can transition to a low-carbon economy is a complex nexus of science, engineering, economics and policy. Drawing on science, engineering and economics, the group aims to deliver insight and understanding into how these aspects can work together to deliver the energy system of the future. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/a-z-research/clean-fossiland-bioenergy/

Minerals, Energy and Environmental Engineering (MERG) Research Group

Led by Energy Futures Lab Co-Director Professor

Anna Korre, the Minerals, Energy and Environmental Engineering (MERG) Research Group is a unique interdisciplinary team based in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering. It combines world-leading techniques in advanced measurement and multiscale, multi-physics modelling to develop engineering solutions for the supply of clean energy, the sustainable production of natural resources, and the mitigation of environmental impacts and risks.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.korre

Muggeridge group

Led by Professor Ann Muggeridge from the Department of Earth Science & Engineering, the Muggeridge Group investigates underground storage and flows of CO2, hydrogen, oil and gas. The group’s research interests include the influence of heterogeneities on flow in porous media; diffusion and dispersion in porous media; experimental studies of physics of flow in porous media and comparison with analytic/ numerical models; the movement of fluids on geological time-scales in the sub-surface; and storage of carbon dioxide in subsurface reservoirs.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.muggeridge

Solar Coatings Group

Led by Dr Andreas Kafizas in the Department of Chemistry, the Solar Coatings Group is developing light-activated coatings that can drive useful chemistry using sunlight, with applications in renewable fuels production (hydrogen fuel from water and carbon-based fuels from CO2), air remediation (NOx removal) and water remediation (arsenic removal). For these coatings to be commercially viable and sustainable, they are produced using low-cost, earth abundant, non-toxic materials. The group is also interested in developing new lightactivated materials to improve the function of these coatings.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.kafizas

Carbon capture pilot plant

Stretching over four floors, the carbon capture pilot plant is at the centre of the Chemical Engineering Department, providing a fully hands-on discovery experience for students and researchers alike. The only facility in the world where undergraduate students are able to learn to operate such a plant, it attracts students and summer school cohorts from across the globe.

Built to the highest industrial standards, the plant is a core part of the training we provide to all of our young chemical engineers, typifying many of the features that graduates will encounter in the ‘real world’, and giving them skills that will be essential in their future careers.

Our futuristic carbon capture pilot plant is also a vital resource in the fight against climate change, demonstrating best practice in capturing and storing harmful carbon dioxide before it can be released into the atmosphere. We encourage leading industrial organisations to use our facility for research purposes, with the hope that one day the technology will be adopted on a much larger scale.

“We need to decarbonise in a holistic sense. Net Zero means we have to start thinking about everything.”

PROFESSOR CHRISTOS MARKIDES, PROFESSOR OF CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

RESEARCH THEMES Materials for Energy

Materials science and engineering provide the essential building blocks of the transition to a zero-pollution economy, enabling us to design and model new technologies, products and processes and improve existing technologies to minimise their impact on the natural world or reduce their running costs. Our Materials for Energy theme reflects the importance of materials research in underpinning work across a broad range of energy topics and the centrality of Imperial’s materials community in our work.

The theme also reflects our emphasis on sustainability. Realising a Net-Zero economy will require a substantial increase in the mining and processing of critical materials, from the lithium and cobalt used in electric vehicles to the tellurium in photovoltaic solar panels. It is vital that these materials are sourced and used in a responsible manner or replaced with novel materials that can provide effective, sustainable and economically viable alternatives.

Centre for Advanced Structural Ceramics

Led by Professor Eduardo Saiz, the Centre for Advanced Structural Ceramics is a world-leading centre for structures ceramics research and teaching. Recent energy and decarbonisation research has covered areas including the structural reliability of ceramic-metal joints for fuel cells; the development of novel fuels and wastecleanup materials for nuclear fission, and radiation shielding materials for fusion; and more resource efficient fabrication techniques, such as recycling ceramic materials used in steel production.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/structural-ceramics/

Composites Centre

Led by Professor Emile Greenhalgh, the Composites Centre is a multi-departmental group featuring researchers from the departments of Aeronautics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering. Their diverse research portfolio ranges from fundamental, exploratory research to highly-focused research targeted at the immediate needs of industry. In the energy sector they are working with car manufacturers on use of new materials and creating multifunctional composites that store electrical energy.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/composites-centre/

Computational NanoElectrochemistry Group

Led by Dr Clotilde Cucinotta, the Computational NanoElectrochemistry Group’s research interests focus on quantum mechanical modelling of materials and electrochemical (EC) processes at the nanoscale. The team currently works to develop a new methodology to simulate EC devices – such as fuel and solar cells, batteries, supercapacitors and sensors - in operation, including the effect of applied potential and electric currents. They use this to study problems like EC corrosion, water splitting, redox switching and current induced effects at nanointerfaces.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/c.cucinotta

Energy Materials and Processing

Led by Dr Ann Huang, the Enegry Materials and Processing group centres on the development of new materials and advanced manufacturing technologies to make ordered electrode nano- and microstructures for rechargeable batteries. The group uses a new type of correlative imaging combining X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and X-ray incoherent scattering to operando map the chemical species inside batteries and understand the underlying phenomena in order to address the challenges of energy storage. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.huang

Experimental Solid State Physics Group

The Experimental Solid State Physics Group, based in the Department of Physics, has interests in renewable energy, materials for energy, nanophotonics, plasmonics, metamaterials, functional materials and plastic electronics. The team has expertise in areas such as organic and inorganic solar cells, solid oxide fuel cells and hybrid solar thermal/PV systems.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/experimental-solid-state/

Frost Group

Led by Dr Jarvist Moore Frost, the Frost Group specialises in the development of new materials and technologies for renewable energy storage and high efficiency photovoltaics. Using computer simulation, the group aims to accelerate the discovery and development of these materials, avoiding costly trial and error. The group is based in the Department of Chemistry in the Molecular Sciences Research Hub at the White City campus. https://frost-group.github.io/

Interfacial Electrochemistry Laboratory

Led by Dr Ifan Stephens from the Department of Materials, the Interfacial Electrochemistry Laboratory conducts research aimed at enabling the large-scale electrochemical conversion of renewable energy to fuels and valuable chemicals and vice versa. Such processes will be critical in order to allow the increased uptake of renewable energy. Among the electrochemical applications being investigated are water electrolysis for the storage of renewable electricity as hydrogen, hydrogen fuel cells, li-ion batteries, and N2 Reduction to NH3 for the local production of fertilisers.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/interfacialelectrochemistry-group/

Lischner Group

Led by Dr Johannes Lischner and based in the Department of Materials and the Thomas Young Centre for Theory and Simulation of Materials, the Lischner Group studies the structural and electronic properties of nanomaterials and energy materials using advanced electronic structure methods. Its current research is focussed on the theory of electronic excitations in complex materials with applications to twisted bilayer materials, plasmonic nanoparticles, core electron spectroscopy of adsorbates and defects in 2D materials. https://sites.google.com/site/jlischner597/

Solid State Electronic Structure Group

Led by Professor David Payne in the Department of Materials, the Solid State Electronic Structure Group works on materials discovery through synthesis and is exploring the opportunities that machine learning can offer for new materials discovery. A main focus of Professor Payne’s research is the development and application of novel photoelectron spectroscopic techniques. This includes a state-of-the art high-pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (HPXPS) which, along with a high-throughput XPS system, forms the Advanced Photoelectron Spectroscopy Laboratory at Imperial.

https://payneresearch.org/

Sustainable Energy Materials

Led by Professor Magda Titirici from the Department of Chemical Engineering, the Sustainable Energy Materials group focuses on the usage of environmentally friendly precursors and processes to obtain carbonbased materials for applications in renewable energy technologies. The group’s research centres on understanding property-performance relationships through in-situ characterisation techniques to improve and tailor our materials for each specific requirement.

https://www.titiricigroup.com/

Nanoanalysis Group

Research in processable electronics has a very broad scope with many promising applications, including: displays, solar cells, transistors, biosensors and photonic devices. Despite the diversity of uses, all these applications are based on thin films of functional materials. In each case their performance is critically dependent on these thin film structures of functional materials and the interactions between them. Led by Professor Ji-Seon Kim from the Department of Physics, the Nanoanalysis Group focuses on this fundamental issue, seeking to understand and establish the correlation between nanostructures of functional materials and the performance of associated devices, and so to develop plastic electronics for next generation technology.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/nanoanalysis-group/

Materials Design Group

Led by Professor Aron Walsh at the Thomas Young Centre, the Materials Design Group works on the design and optimisation of advanced materials using highperformance computing. Its research on computational materials chemistry combines quantum mechanics with data-driven machine learning and multi-scale modelling approaches with applications for solar cells and fuels, batteries, thermoelectrics, and solid-state lighting. http://wmd-group.github.io/

Multifunctional Nanomaterials

Led by Dr Camille Petit from the Department of Chemical Engineering, the Multifunctional Nanomaterials group designs, synthesises, characterises and tests porous materials that can address separation challenges related to environmental and energy sustainability. When relevant and possible, the group confers its materials a photocatalytic property in addition to their sorptive nature as a way to intensify processes. This leads to the creation of multifunctional materials. The group’s main focus is on porous nitrides, metal organic frameworks, porous polymers and composites thereof for applications in molecular separations and solar energy conversion.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/multifunctionalnanomaterials/

Skinner Group

Led by Professor Stephen Skinner, the interests of the Skinner Group centre on the properties and structures of ion-conducting oxides, with emphasis on the identification and characterisation of new materials using in-situ high-temperature techniques such as x-ray and neutron powder diffraction techniques, secondary ion mass spectrometry and low-energy ion scattering. This work has potential applications in the development of solid oxide fuel cells, electrolysis and permeation membranes and more have been identified as having application in the field of novel solid-state gas sensors. https://www.stephenskinnerlab.com/

Dr Clotilde Cucinotta, leader of the Computational NanoElectrochemistry Group

MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures

The MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures from Energy Futures Lab provides a grounding in the major features of global energy issues, sustainable energy technologies, and their interactions with economics, the environment and policy.

The MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures from Energy Futures Lab provides a grounding in the major features of global energy issues, sustainable energy technologies, and their interactions with economics, the environment and policy. Taking a quantitative approach to the study of technology and systems, the MSc attracts students with engineering and physical science backgrounds, although not exclusively. It will also appeal to those with post-degree experience who wish to gain a broader, more strategic perspective on energy issues.

The MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures is an internationally unique course. Throughout the year our students have lectures and guidance from experts across all research areas at Imperial College London, as well as leaders from the energy industry. Combining the academic and industrial experience of the Faculty of Engineering with the Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Imperial College Business School, this course offers a unique multidisciplinary teaching programme.

Study programme

You begin your studies in October with the Autumn and Spring terms dedicated to taught modules. In the summer term you turn your focus to an extensive research project. The research project is an opportunity to make use of the interdisciplinary nature of the MSc.

Projects are available from across all Imperial College London departments engaged in energy research and also in partnership with industry.

Careers

The curriculum's focus on a multidisciplinary view of the energy sector means graduates are well placed to work in a diverse range of energy-related areas and are in high demand from employers. As a graduate of the Sustainable Energy Future course, you will join a network of over 600 fellow Energy Futures Lab alumni who live and work in every corner of the world. Over 90% of our MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures graduates currently work in the energy sector.

Alumnus profile: Mervin Azeta, (MSc Sustainable Energy Futures 2015)

With a passion for problem solving, Mervin Azeta has always been an engineer by nature. The tragic death of a family member during a power outage in Nigeria made Mervin an impassioned advocate for universal access to energy at a young age and shaped her decision to pursue a career in the sector. She went on to study Chemical Engineering at the University of Benin where, while working on her thesis, her interest in sustainable energy development was piqued.

After a period working as completions field engineer with Schlumberger, Mervin decided to deepen her understanding of the opportunities presented by sustainable energy and joined Energy Futures Lab’s MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures. “I wanted more. I wanted to know how to drive innovation to help power our world and reduce our environmental footprint. Imperial offered exactly what I wanted – the course, the exposure to innovative technologies, the policy and business side of things,” she explained in an interview to mark her Emerging Alumni Leader Award in 2022.

Alongside her studies, Mervin immersed herself in in College life, becoming co-chair of the Imperial College Nigerian Society, a role that allowed her to further develop her leadership skills. “At Imperial, we had exposure to collaboration, industry networks and stakeholders. We also engaged with different people from different parts of the world with different perspectives... we used to call ourselves the mini–United Nations,” she recalls. Mervin graduated with distinction in 2015 before returning to Schlumberger where she has held various engineering and leadership roles.

Today, Mervin is an ardent ambassador for women in STEM and serves on top-tier boards and committees at the World Energy Council, Society of Petroleum Engineers, African Union and others. She encourages young women to pursue their passions, to speak up for themselves and for others, and to keep learning. “Put your talent to work so it doesn’t go to waste –people won’t always push you. Also, attend events and meet people. We need other people. We need to find our tribe.”

“Imperial offered exactly what I wanted – the course, the exposure to innovative technologies, the policy and business side of things”

Mervin pictured with Imperial’s Professor Washington Yotto Ochieng and Provost Professor Ian Walmsley after receiving the 2022 Emerging Alumni Leader Award

Collaborate with us

Partnership opportunities

Ranked as the second most innovative university in Europe, and in the top ten in the world, Imperial College London is home to world-leading academic researchers.

At Imperial, we value research that applies academic curiosity and rigour to real-world business challenges, bringing tangible benefits to society. Among the most effective ways for businesses to benefit from our worldleading academic expertise are to partner with us in collaborative research and to licence our technologies.

Imperial's Industry Partnerships and Commercialisation (IPC) team, together with other staff in the Enterprise Division, have a deep understanding of science and technology and strong commercial acumen. They help academics and businesses work together to develop new insights and technologies and translate them into commercial opportunities.

Imperial-Sainsbury’s partnership

In 2010, Sainsbury’s, one of Britain’s largest food retailers, established a partnership with Imperial College London to pursue research that results in reducing the carbon footprint of its retail activities, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Due to its success, the partnership has been renewed until 2025.

Imperial works closely with various Sainsbury's business units that are committed to decarbonising operations. The key focus areas of the partnership are:

• Decarbonisation strategy: carbon mapping, low carbon roadmaps, low carbon fuel trade-offs, techno-economic evaluation of investments, and property portfolio invesment plan

• Transport operations: energy efficiency, low carbon HGV fleets, impact of internet sales, research on logistics re-routing

• Energy building performance: benchmarking performance of buildings and energy systems, control strategies of building management systems, analysis and validation of energy efficiency and low carbon investments, redesign of engineering systems

• Energy technology review: appraisal and policy reviews of low carbon technologies for power, heat and cooling provision

• Sustainable ethical sourcing: carbon, energy, water, and waste reduction in food production and delivery processes

Project manager Dr Salvador Acha, Research Fellow in Energy Systems and Sustainable Transitions, said: “The partnership is a testament of how academia and industry can collaborate effectively to address problems that have no straightforward answer. We are working on developing innovative models and transferring our findings so Sainsbury’s can make sound low carbon investment decisions.”

Imperial-Hitachi partnership

In 2022, Imperial College London, Hitachi Ltd and Hitachi Europe Ltd signed an agreement to create the Hitachi and Imperial Centre for Decarbonisation and Natural Climate Solutions, to collaborate in fundamental and applied research to drive the transition to net zero pollution. The organisations will work together on selected research projects, reports and white papers on the technologies needed to achieve net zero and to train the next generation of netzero scientists and engineers.

Professor Mary Ryan, Imperial’s Vice-Provost (research & Enterprise) said, “There is greater urgency than ever before to tackle global pollution, of which CO2 is one of the biggest sources. This joint research centre will bring together world-leading scientists and innovators in decarbonisation and climate repair to develop new technology and solutions to the climate emergency. Imperial and Hitachi will work closely together to make significant advances in developing cleaner energy and this new centre will accelerate our work towards a zero-pollution future.”

Contact

Dr Francesca Pietra Director of Industry Partnerships and Commercialisation (Industry Partnerships Lead), Faculty of Engineering

Policy engagement

Imperial Policy Forum uses the latest evidence from Imperial’s academics to inform the policy conversations that really matter. The Forum’s work draws on the skills, expertise and resources of different parts of the College and its wider networks. The team harnesses the College’s excellence in fundamental and applied research from across the Faculties of Natural Science, Engineering, Medicine and the Business School, and draws on the substantial expertise in some of its world-class Institutes and Centres.

It is only by bringing together academia, government and industry that we can find solutions to the biggest challenges facing the world today across climate, future technologies and health. Imperial Policy Forum supports researchers to better engage with policymakers and supports policymakers through bespoke briefings, workshops and events to understand the latest evidence in key areas, supporting evidence-based decision-making.

Find out more about policy engagement at Imperial: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/the-forum

ABOVE: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Bill Gates meet with representatives of Imperial-based energy start-up H2GO Power during the launch of the Cleantech for UK iniative at Imperial College London. Picture by Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street. RIGHT: Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, speaking at Imperial.

Transition to Zero Pollution

Transition to Zero Pollution is one of the flagship initiatives of Imperial’s Academic Strategy.

The initiative fosters systems-thinking, discovery science, transformational cross-disciplinary research, technology and innovation to create and translate holistic socio-technical solutions to pollution in all its forms, including carbon dioxide. It aims to build on work being done to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and deliver net-zero carbon, and go beyond that to build a sustainable zero pollution future.

Transition to Zero Pollution brings together researchers across Imperial and builds new partnerships that connect disciplines, from fundamental science and engineering to systems thinking, human health, new business models, and policymaking. We want to instil a holistic, zero pollution mindset among our researchers and inspire current and future students. Imperial is working with key stakeholders to make sure that our research is translated into effective policy and solutions for industry and benefits across society.

“Addressing the challenge of global pollution will require a radical shift in industrial systems, technologies, and business models, underpinned by the development of innovative policies and governance structures – all of which will require integrated research across many disciplines.”

PROFESSOR MARY RYAN CBE, VICE-PROVOST (RESEACRCH & ENTERPRISE) & TRANSITION TO ZERO POLLUTION LEAD.

Sir

Keir Starmer MP, Leader of the Labour Party, visits Imperial’s Carbon Capture Pilot Plant with President Professor Hugh Brady and Professor Mary Ryan CBE, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) and Imperial Zero Pollution Lead.

Societal engagement

Societal engagement is a core part of Imperial’s mission to achieve enduring excellence in research and education in science, engineering, medicine and business for the benefit of society.

At Energy Futures Lab, we are committed to sharing our research and expertise in ways that inspire young minds, empower communities, and broaden the public’s understanding of complex energy issues. We do this, in part, through our involvement in a number of Imperial-led societal engagement initiatives such as the Great Exhibition Road Festival, Imperial Lates, and Sustainability Week, alongside outreach events run by partners including the Royal Society and the Science Museum.

Great Exhibition Road Festival

The Great Exhibition Road Festival is Imperial’s flagship public engagement initiative, with a major live festival weekend every summer in South Kensington, supported by year-round community and school outreach activities and regular digital events. This celebration of the sciences and arts launched in 2019, with over 60,000 visitors attending across the weekend. Exhibition Road is closed to traffic for the duration of the festival to make way for many local institutions – including the V&A, Royal Albert Hall, Natural History Museum and Science Museum – to collaborate and create a free programme of unique and creative workshops, talks, exhibitions and performances for all ages.

OUR STRATEGY FOR ENGAGING WITH SOCIETY 2022-2023

“Societal engagement is about creating accessible and meaningful experiences and opportunities to exchange ideas, insights and skills. It is about inspiring and nurturing a sense of curiosity, whether with our own natural world or with the far corners of the universe. Through engagement we hope that we can bring tangible benefits to society, such as improved health through more relevant medical research, or cleaner fuels that reduce carbon emissions.”

Imperial Lates

Imperial Lates is a regular programme of sociable and inspiring evening events, providing a fun way for London-based adult audiences to connect with Imperial’s latest research. Each event is centred around a topical and relevant theme, which is explored through talks, creative workshops, tours, games and more. Visitors can grab a drink and enjoy music while also getting the chance to meet scientists and researchers who are shaping the future in their field.

Energy Futures Lab is one of seven Global Institutes at Imperial College London.

Established in 2005 to address global energy challenges, the institute serves industry, government, and society at large by identifying and leading new opportunities for energy research and collaboration, and by providing evidence and advocacy for positive change. The institute aims to promote energy innovation and advance systemic solutions for a sustainable energy future by bringing together the science, engineering and policy expertise at Imperial and fostering collaboration with a wide variety of external partners.

For more information visit Imperial.ac.uk/energy-futures-lab

energyfutureslab@imperial.ac.uk

@energyfuturesic

linkedin.com/company/imperialcollege-london-energy-futures-lab/ energyfutureslab

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