Supergen Energy Networks Impact Hub 2023

Started

Other Power and Storage Technologies

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Environmental dimensions)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation)

Professor PC Taylor
Engineering
Durham University

Standard

EPSRC

01 August 2024

30 September 2028

50 months

£4,819,783

Energy

North East

Energy and Decarbonisation

Professor PC Taylor, Engineering, Durham University

Dr MP Abeysekera, Engineering, Cardiff University
Dr S Adepu, Computer Science, University of Bristol
Dr S Few, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds
Professor M Freer, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham
Dr D Greenwood, Sch of Engineering, Newcastle University
Dr C Gu, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath
Dr V Levi, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester
Dr F Li, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath
Dr A Parisio, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester
Dr R Preece, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester
Dr C Robinson, Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol
Dr A Sciacovelli, Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham
Dr A D Shea, Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath
Professor P Taylor, Process, Environmental and Material Eng, University of Leeds
Dr SJ Williamson, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bristol
Dr J Wu, Engineering, Cardiff University

Project Contact, Poyry Energy Ltd
Project Contact, Association for Decentralised Energy
Project Contact, Department for the Economy
Project Contact, Tyndall National Institute, Ireland
Project Contact, IGEM - Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers
Project Contact, Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult
Project Contact, University of Sussex
Project Contact, Newcastle University
Project Contact, Neath Port Talbot County Council
Project Contact, Electricity North West Limited
Project Contact, Welsh Assembly Government
Project Contact, National Grid plc
Project Contact, Northern Powergrid
Project Contact, Northern Gas Networks
Project Contact, Scottish Power Retail
Project Contact, National Grid ESO
Project Contact, KrakenFlex Ltd
Project Contact, Singapore University of Tech & Design
Project Contact, Kinewell Energy
Project Contact, Net Zero North East England
Project Contact, Electricity Maps
Project Contact, Eskimo Products Ltd
Project Contact, Kwame Nkrumah Uni of Science & Tech
Project Contact, LV= (Liverpool Victoria)
Project Contact, Toshiba Europe Limited
Project Contact, Aura Power
Project Contact, Cadscan Limited
Project Contact, Applied Energy UNiLAB on Synergies between Energy Networks
Project Contact, Wales and West Utilities
Project Contact, Siemens plc (UK)
Project Contact, Conservatoire for Dance and Drama
Project Contact, East Riding College
Project Contact, RITICS
Project Contact, Ofgem
Project Contact, Jacobs UK Limited
Project Contact, National Energy Action
Project Contact, Equiwatt Limited

The global energy sector is facing considerable pressure arising from climate change, depletion of fossil fuels and geopolitical issues around the location of remaining fossil fuel reserves. Energy networks are vitally important enablers for the UK energy sector and therefore UK industry and society. Energy networks exist primarily to exploit and facilitate temporal and spatial diversity in energy production and use and to exploit economies of scale where they exist. The pursuit of Net Zero presents many complex interconnected challenges which reach beyond the UK and have huge relevance internationally. These challenges vary considerably from region to region due to historical, geographic, political, economic and cultural reasons. As technology and society changes so do these challenges, and therefore the planning, design and operation of energy networks needs to be revisited and optimised. Electricity systems are facing technical issues of bi-directional power flows, increasing long-distance power flows and a growing contribution from fluctuating and low inertia generation sources. Gas systems require significant innovation to remain relevant in a low carbon future. Heat networks have little energy demand market share, although they have been successfully installed in other northern European countries. Other energy vectors such as Hydrogen or bio-methane show great promise but as yet have no significant share of the market. Faced with these pressures, the modernisation of energy networks technology, processes and governance is a necessity if they are to be fit for the future. Good progress has been made in de-carbonisation in some areas but this has not been fast enough, widespread enough across vectors or sectors and not enough of the innovation is being deployed at scale. Effort is required to accelerate the development, scale up the deployment and increase the impact delivered

25/06/25