energy – Page 2

Energy consumption: solving the storage problem

By Robert Dryfe Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: July 11, 2024

To combat climate change, all developed economies have set the goal of carbon-neutrality by 2050. This means securing more energy from renewable sources. Achieving a high proportion of renewable energy production in the UK and other developed countries is only possible with suitable energy storage infrastructure, to bridge periods of low or no power generation from […]

Electricity access vs toxic lead pollution: tackling waste from solar power in sub-Saharan Africa

By Christopher Kinally and Alejandro Gallego Schmid Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: April 25, 2024

Millions of short-lived solar energy devices are being sold to households across sub-Saharan Africa each year as a strategy to increase access to electricity. However, the current lack of infrastructure to safely manage the resulting toxic waste flow raises significant environmental, human health, and social justice concerns. Here, Dr Christopher Kinally and Dr Alejandro Gallego […]

What does a ‘metal intensive’ future entail?

By Dr Sampriti Mahanty and Professor Frank Boons Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Technology Posted: February 6, 2024

Critical metals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese, are key to the path towards net zero. The UK Government released their Critical Minerals Strategy in early 2023, which sets out to improve the resilience of the critical metal supply chain. In this article from our publication ‘On Resilience’, Dr Sampriti Mahanty and Professor […]

Sparking change: the rush to electrify

By Robin Preece, Eduardo Alejandro Martínez Ceseña and Paul Jarman Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: January 16, 2024

The environmental threats of climate change and extreme weather are forcing us to rethink our energy production and usage. As a society, we know how to produce clean low-carbon electricity and deliver it to customers in a reliable, efficient and economical manner. In this article, from our publication On Resilience, Dr Robin Preece, Dr Eduardo […]

Climate change: navigating a clear route for UK shipping

By Simon Bullock, Alice Larkin and James Mason Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Technology Posted: January 8, 2024

After a year of devastating climate disasters, nations at COP 28 in Dubai in December signalled the need for the “end of the fossil fuel era”. To meet that ambition, 2024 will need to see a major acceleration in global action to address climate change. Here, Simon Bullock, Alice Larkin, and James Mason from the […]

Planning ahead: A multi-sector approach to net zero

By Mathaios Panteli, Eduardo Alejandro Martínez Ceseña and Julien Harou Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Energy and Environment, Environment, Inclusive Growth, Renewables, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: December 13, 2023

With climate change increasing some resources’ uncertainty – and global development making others scarcer and more interdependent – society requires improved planning and policy frameworks to deliver a secure, equitable and resilient transformation to net zero. In this article from our publication On Resilience, Professor Julien Harou, Dr Eduardo A. Martínez Ceseña and Professor Mathaios Panteli explore how […]

Freedom energy: minimising geopolitical risks to reach net zero

By Matthew Paterson Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Technology Posted: November 30, 2023

Geopolitical dynamics are crucial to our thinking about the future of energy and the pursuit of net zero. In this article from our publication On Resilience, Professor Matthew Paterson explores the complexity of alternatives to fossil fuels, the impact of renewables on our energy security, and how policymakers can reduce exposure to the geopolitical risks of the […]

Strengthening the UK’s energy resilience and security

By Maria Sharmina and Timothy Capper Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering Posted: November 13, 2023

Energy is a key resource enabling the functioning of modern societies. Arguably, the fast-paced technological advances in the past 200 years have been based on plentiful supply of cheap energy. But cheap and plentiful are no more. In this article, from our publication On Resilience, Professor Maria Sharmina and Timothy Capper explore how to strengthen the […]

Underground hydrogen storage, the key to a green and sustainable future

By Lin Ma and Kevin Taylor Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: September 4, 2023

In response to the climate crisis, renewable energy production has increased significantly over the last decade. According to National Grid, the UK produced its trillionth kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity generated from renewable sources on 15 May 2023, and solar energy and offshore wind are predicted to grow five-fold by 2030. Hydrogen, a potentially green […]

A critical question: what should we do with the UK’s plutonium stockpile?

By William Bodel Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: August 30, 2023

The UK is currently storing around 140 tonnes of plutonium, mostly arising from its civil nuclear programme over the past 60 years. What should we, as a nation, do with it? Should we use it as fuel for future reactors, or dispose of it as waste? The latest position paper from the Dalton Nuclear Institute […]