Energy & Clean Technologies

This JRI is structured around three key themes that address the issue of finding solutions for future energy supply.

The aim of the first research theme will be to develop new and renewable sources of energy, particularly through marine, wind, biomass, solar and fuel cell technologies including hydrogen storage, electricity storage and distribution networks. It will also provide infrastructural remote monitoring and control systems and strategies to maximise use of resource and efficiency of operation. Production and development of liquid biofuels from biomass will also be pursued.

The aim of the second research theme is to develop innovative solutions and technologies to; enhance recovery of oil & gas reserves from existing fields, advance reservoir imaging and characterisation, enable the recovery of stranded reserves of significant value,  effect improvements to drilling efficiency, provide better sand control systems and produced water treatments. There are also significant opportunities to introduce new and improved methods for gas stream clean-up and separation through catalytic and membrane technologies.

The aim of the third research theme is to develop innovative and clean technological solutions for CO2 stripping, the production of high purity hydrogen, sub-surface sequestration, water purification through catalysis, and bio-remediation of energy related activities.

New and renewable energy technologies

The future lays down a significant challenge for energy production and distribution. Climate change mitigation strategies and the decline in availability of fossil fuels will necessarily reduce, in the long term, electricity generation through conventional means requiring the development of efficient and effective means of generating and distributing energy from renewable sources such as marine, biomass, solar and wind energy generators. These coupled with electricity distribution networks are areas of expertise and strength in the three participating HEIs. The North East of Scotland is in prime position through AREG to move into the production and deployment of renewable energies and it is the stated aim of the two local authorities to actively enhance the research capacity in future energy technologies.
 

Oil Platform

The aim of the research theme will be to develop new and renewable sources of energy, particularly through marine, wind, biomass, solar and fuel cell technologies including electricity storage and distribution networks. It will also provide infrastructural remote monitoring and control systems and strategies to maximise use of resource and efficiency of operation. Production and development of liquid biofuels from biomass will also be pursued.

Oil and gas technologies
 
Oil and gas reserves are becoming increasingly difficult to find and to extract efficiently and economically. To do so requires higher-resolution reservoir imaging data to more precisely locate reserves, and more efficient and accurate drilling technologies and down-hole and subsea technologies, particularly for use in extreme conditions such as high pressure, high temperature fields, and at the great water depths beyond the continental shelves necessitating innovative subsea engineering solutions.

The aim of this research theme is to develop innovative solutions and technologies to; enhance recovery of oil & gas reserves from existing fields, advance reservoir imaging and characterisation, enable the recovery of stranded reserves of significant value,  effect improvements to drilling efficiency, provide better sand control systems and produced water treatments. There are also significant opportunities to introduce new and improved methods for gas stream clean-up and separation through catalytic and membrane technologies.

Clean technologies

Mitigation of climate change, availability of clean water and remediation of environmental pollution each has a strong link to future energy technologies.

The aim of this research theme is to develop innovative and clean technological solutions for CO2 stripping, the production of high purity hydrogen, sub-surface sequestration, water purification through catalysis, and bio-remediation of energy related activities.

Further details