Research Councils UK Energy Programme
Becky Leithall CCS Portfolio Manager, EPSRC UKCCSRC Biannual Meeting
RCUK Energy Programme
Current CCS Portfolio – Forecast and Highlights
Recent Successes for CCS Colleagues
Future Opportunities
Presentation Highlights
Led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Brings together the work of EPSRC
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
What is the RCUK Energy
Programme?
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.
Key Objectives of the RCUK
Energy Programme
Funding a Full Spectrum of
Leading Research and Training
Bioenergy
Cleaner fossil fuels
Carbon Capture and Storage
Energy efficiency
Fusion
Hydrogen and fuel cell technology
Marine
Networks and storage
Nuclear fission
Policy, society and economics
Solar
Wind
Carbon Capture and Storage
in the Energy Programme A priority area for the Energy Programme
Currently supports over £60M in current grants for CCS research
Supporting the UK’s commitment to cleaner coal power generation.
EPSRC aims to maintain the
current level of support in the CCS
research area.
Our £60M of CCS research and capacity building projects include:
The UK CCS Research Centre
Research Consortia: carbon capture, utilisation, transport and storage; Multi-scale whole
systems modelling; CCS for natural gas, eco-system impacts; kinetics of fluid-rock interactions in
reservoirs.
Projects building international links: Cleaner Fossil Fuels and CCS technologies in
collaboration with China (NSFC).
Building capacity: the Engineering Doctorate Centre in Efficient Fossil Energy Technologies.
Awards for six new lectureships.
Linking the research community through the funded network.
Central support for institutes and centres: BGS, NOC and PML
Coordination of activities with TSB, ETI and DECC
CCS Portfolio Highlights
Carbon Capture and Utilisation, Successful proposals from the nanotechnology call:
– Prof. Charlotte Williams; Imperial College
– Prof. Nora De Leeuw; UCL
Conventional Power Consortia: – Prof. Rachel Thomson; Loughborough
– Dr Simon Hogg; Durham
Activities in Collaboration
with the Energy Programme
and CCS
Bio-inspired sulphide catalysts for CO2 conversions
Polymer production from CO2 and epoxide
Successful Proposals for the CCS Geological Challenges Call:
– Prof. Sevket Durucan; Imperial.
CO2 injection and storage – short and longterm behaviour at different spatial scales.
– Dr Stuart Gilfilan; Edinburgh.
Fingerprinting captured CO2 using natural tracers: determining captured CO2 fate and
providing ownership.
– Dr Andy Chadwick; BGS.
Diagnostic seismic toolbox for the efficient control of CO2 storage.
– Dr Jon Harrington; BGS.
The impact of hydrocarbon depletion on the treatment of caprocks within performance
assessment for CO2 injection schemes.
Recent Success in the CCS
Community
Successful Fellowship Applications in CCS;
Dr Doug Angus, University of Leeds.
£350M CDT call (EPSRC wide),
including priorities in CCS and Clean Fossil Energy.
Building Capacity
Energy Technology Building at University of Nottingham, hosts of the current “Efficient
Fossil Energy Technologies” DTC.
NERC – potential activity in CCS storage, scoping has been
completed.
EPSRC – calls being planned for 2013 in CCS and Conventional
Energy for commitment in May 2014.
Working alongside UKCCSRC in planning specific calls.
Still to come…
FENCO-NET aims to facilitate and encourage
transnational cooperation of national R&D programmes
in the fossil energy field.
United Kingdom, Greece, Poland and Norway
with potential additional commitment from Spain and Germany.
Call Publication 10th April.
Deadline for submission 29th May.
FENCO-NET collaboration