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.