The University of Sheffield’s world-class academic expertise and research facilities will help to deliver the objectives set out in the government’s recent 10-point plan for a green ‘industrial revolution’ in the UK. Both the University’s Energy Institute and its new Translational Energy Research Centre welcomed the news of the Prime Minister’s ambitions to reduce carbon emissions and drive renewable energy generation and usage over the next three decades.
Through the Energy Institute and the Translational Energy Research Centre, the University of Sheffield is home to leading researchers in many of the key areas of the government’s plan. The Energy Institute’s main research areas cover low-carbon and carbon capture and storage methods, wind, nuclear, electrical energy storage, the circular economy, energy systems and solar power. With 300 experts across these topics and beyond, the Energy Institute will be capable of discovering and understanding the technology and innovation needed to support the government’s plan.
The Energy Institute has key facilities which help to deliver tangible research outcomes from bench-level up to pilot-scale. The Translational Energy Research Centre, set to open to users in June 2021, is home to world-leading experts in the areas of hydrogen, biomass, carbon capture and sustainable aviation fuels. The high-specification equipment and bespoke research technology means the centre will be one of the best-equipped for low carbon research in the UK.
Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian, Director of the Energy Institute and Managing Director for the Translational Energy Research Centre, said of the announcement: “The Energy Institute welcomes the announcement made by the Prime Minister introducing a ten point plan for a green economic recovery, which includes moves to boost hydrogen production and utilisation. We are eagerly waiting to hear next week's spending review, which is the next important opportunity to turn this proposed plan into action.
“Our recent significant investment at the Translational Energy Research Centre on pilot-scale facilities relating to hydrogen production and utilisation will provide academics with an opportunity to carry out innovative research and contribute significantly to the implementation of the Prime Minister’s plan.”
Professor Jonathan Gibbins, Director of the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre, based at the University of Sheffield and Professor of CCS at the Energy Institute said: “The plans to deploy carbon capture and storage are a climate revolution as well as a new industrial revolution. CCS, including removing CO2 from the air, is a game-changer for actually being able to deliver Paris goals, so the UK's job at the Glasgow COP has just got a lot easier.
“The commitment to two CCS clusters straight away and two more by 2030 could definitely make the UK the global leader in the field. But we do need to learn from experience with other technologies and build up our own engineering and science resources to deliver the associated jobs and value, rather than just allowing businesses from other countries to exploit the invaluable opportunities that this government vision and funding provides.”
Professor Neil Hyatt, Professor of Nuclear Materials Chemistry and Director of Research for the Energy Institute said: “Through this new Green Industrial Revolution, the UK will be positioned as a world leader in the development and commercialisation of small modular reactors as a source of low carbon electricity. There is a real opportunity to capitalise on this and not only achieve net zero carbon, whilst providing affordable energy, but also to drive economic growth through international export of this technology”.