That’s the belief of technologists and academics backing the nation’s first ever National Geothermal Centre, launched today.

Based at Stockton-on-Tees and supported by the Net Zero Technology Centre, Durham University, SHIFT Geothermal, and the Reece Foundation, donors to engineering innovators in the north-east, the NGC aims to nurture Britain’s exploitation of shaft-delivered, subterranean heat by stimulating research and innovation. Developing expertise, and advising entrepreneurs and policy-makers in forming a policy, regulation and investment framework which enables geothermal advancement, are among the centre’s remit.

The new body will drive collaboration between government, industry, and academia, championing the integration of geothermal energy into the UK’s impending renewables mix, as a low carbon option to heat homes and industries and in power generation.

Britain’s geothermal centres look primarily at sinking shafts into hot rocks thousands of metres below the surface, and pumping up super-heated ground water & gases. Government sources assert that geothermal could contribute mightily the nation’s energy targets and economy, meeting 10GW of the projected heating demand and 1.5GW of the anticipated electricity demand by 2050.

The centre is now on a mission to engage with geothermal practitioners & developers, bidding to speed uptake of applicable projects.

NGC director Anne Murrell, second from right in the picture, said: “Geothermal energy is the foundation of energy security in the UK. It is an inexhaustible source of clean heat and power beneath our feet. The new UK National Geothermal Centre will work to unearth it.

“Already in the UK geothermal projects are providing stable, low-cost, green energy to homes and businesses. With its expert stakeholders from industry, academia, finance and government, the NGC will expand geothermal development, at speed and at scale.”

“Geothermal has been my personal passion for over 20 years”, enthused Dr Charlotte Adams, another NGC director, standing next to Murrell.  “I remain convinced of its potential for reducing carbon emissions and improving energy security.

“The timing is perfect for launching the National Geothermal Centre, it will shape and accelerate our growing geothermal sector through collaborative cross-sector working. The Centre will ultimately help to unlock geothermal for more people and secure its’ position as an essential part of our low carbon energy mix.”

Nigel Lees, Chair of the NGC, said: “The launch of the National Geothermal Centre today represents a significant step in realising the opportunities that geothermal energy provides the UK. For several decades there has been a growing and meaningful contribution to our understanding of geothermal potential in the UK, yet we remain in the nascent stages of development with pockets of knowledge and expertise.

“The Centre will embrace and build on this, working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure a common understanding of the opportunities and challenges whilst giving a consistent voice and advocacy to fully unlock the geothermal potential in the UK and play a crucial part in the delivery of our net zero ambitions.

“I am honoured to serve as Chair of the National Centre and looking forward to working with the board, the executive, and our stakeholder community in the realisation of our collective vision.”

Rebecca Allison, chief operations officer at the Net Zero Technology Cenre, said: “As NZTC continues to accelerate the development and deployment of key transitioning technologies, we are fully embracing the opportunities that come with the geothermal sector. We look forward to supporting the NGC, helping it drive change and form a significant contribution to an integrated energy future.”

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The public welcomes the prospect of zero-emissions aviation technologies, despite unfamiliarity and even some concerns over their viability.

Researchers for the Jet Zero Council, a partnership between the UK government, industry and academia focused on reducing aviation emissions, quizzed 2,000 travellers about their attitude to kerosene-bereft flying.

They found British adults need thorough reassurance that any new aviation technologies are rigorously tested to ensure their safety before they are introduced commercially.

On average, they believe zero-emissions aviation – i.e. battery- and hydrogen-powered aircraft – to be around 15 years off commercial use.

Despite concerns about range and weight, 37% said they would fly on a battery powered aircraft, and a further 40% said they’d consider it. The public is more confident about hydrogen-powered aircraft, with 35% saying they would take a flight powered by hydrogen, and a further 47% said they’d be open to it.

Emma Gilthorpe, CEO of the Jet Zero Council, says, “It’s great to see how confident the general public are about zero-emissions aviation technologies. Battery- and hydrogen-powered aircraft are a crucial part of decarbonising the future of flight, and it is important that industry makes it as easy as possible for the public to embrace these technologies as they enter service”.

Rachel Gardner-Poole, Chair of the Jet Zero Council Zero Emission Flight Delivery Group, says, “It is really helpful to see the views of the general public on these important topics.  Battery electric aircraft are already being used on a daily basis by some UK-based private flying schools, and will expand significantly to urban and rural settings in the near future, with regional flight also anticipated. Meanwhile, emerging hydrogen propulsion will be capable of domestic flights, and in the longer term, international routes will be flown using hydrogen. Jet Zero Council members are at the forefront of this work and it’s very exciting to see that some of these technologies are projected to enter the commercial market before the end of the decade.”

“It’s important to recognise that aviation is already on the journey to net zero. Commercial flights are using Sustainable Aviation Fuel right now, which are a key part of aviations sustainable future, alongside the zero-emissions aviation technologies of the future”.

“As an industry, we need to clearly communicate the safety and performance of these new technologies and I look forward to the day when transatlantic flight has zero impact on the environment.“

To find out more about the Jet Zero Council, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/jet-zero-council.

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Energy Systems Catapult was launched in 2015 by Innovate UK, the arms-length governmental body steering marketable scientific research.

The Catapult has since built a team of nearly 300 experts across energy technologies, including engineering, consumption, financial & commercial management and energy policy. It draws on sector-leading test facilities & modelling tools, as well as data amassed in more than 500 research projects.

Dr Cocker’s 28 years of industrial experience includes spells with innovators and some of the UK’s biggest energy companies.  In the past decade he chaired both the Energy Innovation Centre and the Energy & Utilities Industrial Partnership.

He said: “The Catapult has created an impressive track record helping promising clean technology businesses to bring innovative energy products and services to market.

“With just 26 years left to hit our Net Zero target, this is an incredibly important and exciting time. We are seeing companies aiming to transform the energy system, making the transition to a zero-carbon economy easier, cheaper, more accessible, and simpler for consumers.

“There are a host of economic opportunities that innovators – large and small – can seize as we make the move to Net Zero. I look forward to helping the Catapult team to support these talented innovators to reshape the sector.”

The Catapult’s chief executive Guy Newey said: “Tony will be a fantastic addition. He brings a wealth of sector experience and expertise that will help bolster our mission to accelerate Net Zero energy innovation.

Dr Cocker will step into the role previously held since 2015 by Nick Winser CBE. The departing boss said: “Energy Systems Catapult has come so far since it was founded. We have helped deliver economic growth, supporting hundreds of companies to create new products and services that will be key to getting us to Net Zero.

“In our work in Local Area Energy Planning or Warm Home Prescription, we have ignited a spark in the innovation space to create a better approach that benefits both consumers and innovators

Based in Birmingham, Energy Systems Catapult is part of a network of nine world-leading technology and innovation centres. It fosters collaboration between industry, government, research organisations and academia.

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A £69 million injection will create the Cranfield Hydrogen Integration Incubator (CH2i).  £23 million comes from Research England, and the rest from industry partners and academic institutions.

Demand for air travel is rising. For UK passengers alone, estimates of 50% growth to 435 million by 2050 will risk breaching the government’s aviation target, its ‘Jet Zero’ goal of no net emissions a decade earlier.  No action risks leaving aviation as Britain’s largest source of carbon emissions by mid-century.

Cranfield’s CH2i will support the aviation industry to explore how to move towards the use of carbon-light hydrogen at scale.

Interest is already strong. Companies trialling the gas either as a fuel or in electricity generation range from Dale Vince’s planned EcoJet carrier to giants SW Airlines and BP.  A Cranfield offshoot is assisting Britten-Norman convert its Islander turbo-prop to hydrogen operation.

“This game-changing investment builds on Cranfield’s expertise in hydrogen research and will help the aviation industry to make the leap to using hydrogen,” said Professor Karen Holford, Cranfield’s Vice-Chancellor.

“CH2i will integrate with other large industry research areas at Cranfield including our novel hydrogen production programmes and our Aerospace Integration Research Centre and the Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre.

The new body CH2i will cover

• An extended research centre, with new labs making advanced materials and testing hydrogen-based technologies. A dedicated innovation area will develop pilot demonstrators for next generation electrolysis, catalyst development and green hydrogen.
• Two separate test beds , able to support hydrogen and liquid hydrogen fuel systems, storage and propulsion system integration, including at high-readiness for commercial deployment

As Europe’s only university with its own airport, including air traffic control facilities, Cranfield has a controlled airside environment which can demonstrate, test and advance new technologies, systems and processes at scale.

One research collaboration will link into a new Centre for Doctoral Training in Net Zero Aviation at Cranfield. It will provide an environment to develop aircraft designs, production technologies, engines materials, structures, storage tanks, urgently required to speed hydrogen take-up in flight.   Input into airline practice and governments’ policies will also follow.

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The study, from the University of Sheffield, the UK Energy Research Centre, and Universities of Nottingham, East Anglia and Macedonia in Greece, found that employment status, housing tenure, inability to save, energy prepayment methods, and household composition are indicators of households that may struggle to withstand high energy prices and heat their homes effectively whilst maintaining their financial solvency.

Low energy price resilience (LENRES) is also associated with worse health, disability, and wellbeing outcomes for adults. This is mainly driven by the stresses of falling behind on energy bills.

The recent energy price crisis initiated “epidemic levels” of hardship in the UK, according to the recent Marmot Review.  Recent government figures estimate that 37 per cent of households now spend more than 10 per cent of their residual income on energy, after deducting housing costs, a share three times up, compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Millions of households therefore face energy-related deprivation for the first time, while millions more have become vulnerable to the escalating debt crisis – with energy-related debt rising to record levels (£3.1 billion).

This new indicator is intended to provide the Government with data to identify which households are most likely to struggle with energy affordability and financial solvency, while helping to plan support and interventions for those struggling to keep a warm home.

Dr Andrew Burlinson, from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Economics and UK Energy Research Centre, said: “Our study puts forward a definition and a quantifiable measure of low energy price resilience that can be used to inform policy making aimed at preventing the worst economic, health and wellbeing consequences of high and prolonged energy price events on households in the UK.”

Drawing on a representative sample of households in the UK between 2016 and 2022, LENRES was developed to provide a way for policymakers to look at the channels underpinning low energy price resilience and how LENRES affects key health and wellbeing outcomes for both adults and children who are living in cold homes.

Dr Davillas from the University of Macedonia, said: “Households with adults that are unemployed, retired, struggling to save, or currently on energy prepayment methods are systematically correlated with low energy resilience, and the numbers of these households are increasing over time.”

However, the research found that for children, household low energy resilience was mainly associated with poor life satisfaction. The researchers believe this was because adults try to shield children in the household from the problem, compounding associated wellbeing and mental health issues in the process.

The team say the research will not only help policymakers introduce more targeted energy interventions for those most in need, but help the Government introduce benefits for society as a whole.

Professor Giulietti from Nottingham University Business School, added: “The UK Government has already attempted to mitigate the impact of the crisis with measures such as the universal energy price guarantee, which has allowed for speed of action in the intervention. However this was a temporary measure for most consumers and potentially failed to support the most vulnerable.”

“As price volatility and uncertainty persist, policy interventions in the energy market will need to be better targeted to avoid further detriment to the most vulnerable households. This could include measures targeted at improving supply resilience as well as demand, more specifically individual household resilience in the longer-term.”

Matthew Scott, policy lead for net zero and fuel poverty at Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “This research breaks vital new ground providing a clearer picture of who has been most impacted by soaring energy costs to date, and a way of understanding who is potentially more likely to continue to struggle in the future”.

Matt Copeland, head of policy and public affairs at National Energy Action, said: “Despite significant government support, this prolonged energy crisis has shattered the finances of millions of people in fuel poverty. Energy bill debt has risen to record levels, meaning our figures show 6 million UK households are struggling to meet their ongoing energy costs while being asked to pay for last winter.

“Identifying those households who no longer have any resilience to price shocks is crucial. As high prices continue and with volatile geopolitics impacting energy prices, targeting support to those who most need it is vital.”

The full study is here.

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The Imperial College Reactor Centre (ICRC) at Silwood Park, Ascot closed in 2012. It was delicensed by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) after more than a decade of work to defuel and then decommission the facility.

Part of Imperial College London, the ICRC has now been assessed by ONR as posing no danger to the public, and no longer requires ONR regulatory controls.

It is the first UK reactor site to be completely delicensed under modern regulatory controls, in April 2022.

The Imperial centre is only the third UK reactor site in history to be fully decommissioned, and its land has now been returned for alternative use.

ONR inspectors recently assessed the site’s final Environmental Management Plan and are content that the concluding decommissioning work, including asbestos surveillance and landscaping, has been completed.

As a result, ICRC is no longer subject to regulations under the Environmental Impact Assessment for Decommissioning Regulations (EIADR) 1999.

Ian Phillips, ONR’s Head of Safety Regulation for Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste sites, said: “This is a milestone in UK nuclear decommissioning history, as well as a testament to the hard work that has been put in at the Imperial College Reactor Centre to reach this final end state.

“It represents the conclusion of a 65 year journey for the ICRC. It can now be recognised as the country’s first ever fully decommissioned reactor site under modern regulatory controls – a fantastic accomplishment.

“Our regulatory oversight ensured that all necessary conditions involved in the defueling, decommissioning, demolition, and delicensing process were realised to meet the high standards we demand in order to maintain the ongoing safety of workers and the public.”

The ICRC was constructed in the early 1960s and the consort reactor achieved criticality in 1965.

It was a small research reactor (100 kW) which was moderated, cooled, reflected, and partially shielded by light water.

Following a significant decline in the volume of research conducted in the facility, the reactor started being shut down 13 years ago.

Defueling was completed in 2014 and 31 fuel elements were removed and transported to Sellafield in Cumbria for interim storage pending reprocessing.

Decommissioning of the reactor and surrounding bioshield was completed in February 2020, and the demolition of all building structures, removal of the base slab and below ground services finished in April 2021.

Trevor Chambers, former head of the centre, said: “Imperial College London is indebted to the Reactor Centre team who provided deep technical and operational oversight throughout the project, as well as support contractors and the site Nuclear Safety Committee for their dedication.

“Releasing the site from regulatory control has created a recreational space at the heart of Imperial’s Silwood Park eco-campus, which may now be used without restriction by staff and students at the forefront of biodiversity science and policy.

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Under it, UK and US scientists will come together to address technical challenges and share nuclear fusion research and development facilities.

Nuclear fusion involves heating two light hydrogen nuclei to extreme temperatures, causing them to combine into a large nucleus that releases heat to generate electricity.

Fusion differs from the more conventional fission, where a heavy nucleus is split into two larger ones. Fusion is considered safer than than its forerunner, because fission produces big quantities of toxic, long-lasting nuclear waste needing great care in its handling. Waste concerns have triggered protests against nuclear power in the UK.

Bowie said: “International collaboration is key for advancing fusion and achieving our ambition of getting a commercial fusion reactor grid-ready by 2040. The UK and the US are world leaders in this technology, and pooling our resources will unlock new private sector investment.”

This is the first formal international fusion collaboration since the launch of the UK Government’s £650m ($794m) Fusion Futures Programme in October. The programme aims to train labour in the practice of fusion technology and accelerate the development of the industry.

In addition to this funding, the government previously allocated £700m to UK fusion energy programmes for the period 2022–25.

The fusion programme is part of the wider Great British Nuclear policy launched in March. Nuclear is thought to play an important role in the UK’s goal of sourcing 95% of its electricity from “low-carbon” sources. The government is aiming for 25% of the country’s energy to come from nuclear sources by 2050.

From the MAST-U tokamak in Oxfordshire to the DIII-D tokamak in California, American and British institutions have long collaborated on fusion research. The new partnership goes further and builds on the UK’s Fusion Strategy. It will:

• bring together scientists and engineers from the UK and US to address the technical challenges of delivering commercially viable fusion energy
• allow shared access for facilities and stimulate new R&D opportunities
• standardise international regulatory frameworks and codes of practice
• develop resilient supply chains for fusion materials to support the industry long-term promote skills development for a robust talent pool in the coming decade

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Together rated at 18.8MWp, onshore turbines at Kirk Hill when completed next year will make up the largest consumer-owned wind farm in the UK.  

Members across the four nations who’ve signed up through co-operative developers Ripple Energy have been told they can save hundreds of pounds on their energy bills when power starts to flow.  The average predicted first year bill savings for the co-op’s 5,600 members is £269.

Conveniently sited within three-mile sight of turbine-hating Donald Trump’s golf franchise at the Turnberry resort, consumer-owned Kirk Hill will have the potential to power a nominal 20,000 households and businesses.

Its thousands of members from households and businesses across the UK part-own the assets, representing a new model of popular, non-corporate ownership of clean power set – or so Ripple’s founder Sarah Merrick believes –  to transform Britain’s transition to clean energy.

Co-op members control their individual investments on a one-person per vote basis via arms-length co-ordinators such as Ripple, and not according to the value of equity they inject.

Funded by £13.2 million of such small investments, Kirk Hill is the latest of the enterprise’s three schemes to come to market.

Its first, a single turbine at Graig Fatha in south Wales – pictured – became the UK’s first consumer owned wind farm when generation began in March 2022.  Its members are expected to save £977 on average off their energy bills this year.

Britain’s first solar park in shared community ownership, Derill Water Solar Park in Devon is the brand’s biggest project to date.  Costing over £20 million, the highest ever single share flotation raise in the history of UK co-operatives, Derill Water will pump its first current late next summer.

 A fourth project has opened for investor registration.

A recent study commissioned by Ripple found 67% of Scots voicing support for renewable projects in their area.  Over half – or 58% – say they are more likely to support a new local wind turbine or solar park if they had the opportunity to own part of it and lower their energy bills.

Ripple commissioned the research as part of its Generation YES initiative. This encourages Brits to say yes to renewable energy projects being developed in their locality and to support more clean power.

Merrick, Ripple Energy’s founder and CEO said: “Owned by 5,600 proud individuals who will benefit from the clean, low-cost energy generated by its turbines, Kirk Hill represents the future of green energy.

“There’s a sense of history being made here on the west coast of Scotland as construction gets underway, ” Merrick added.  “From the moment they left the factories and made their journey across the Mediterranean and into the Port of Ayr, our members have been avidly following their journey.

“The future is consumer-owned renewable energy, and thousands of people in the UK have already joined the movement.”

Interest declared: the author invests in several UK energy co-operatives.

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Greater complexities in power distribution, £20 million for green hydrogen innovation, and cash to probe consumption behaviours are addressed in today’s announcement.  Reaching Net Zero by mid-century is the awards’ ultimate goal.

Led by Bath University the UK-HyRES Hydrogen Hub seeks international leadership in hydrogen research, fostering technologies delivering the gas and alternative liquid fuels.

A related HI-ACT hub, led by Newcastle University, will evaluate routes to effective integration of hydrogen into the wider energy landscape, addressing interactions with electricity, natural gas, heat, and transport.  Each centre pockets £10 million in funding by the Engineering & Physical Research Council.

Split between Sussex & Newcastle Universities, an Energy Demand Research Centre will compile evidence in consumer behaviour, assessing the impact of prompts towards demand reduction as well as researching best ways to improve energy efficiency.

Power and heat used in homes, businesses & transport will be covered, with a £15 million grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Bioenergy and renewables are the focus of a new Supergen Energy Network, with three regional hubs in universities.  Bristol will probe the modernisation of distribution systems connecting suppliers and users. Plymouth will seek to speed up offshore generation devices and systems.  Aston will identify pathways for delivering bioenergy with wider social, economic and environmental benefits.

As Britain’s biggest public funder of innovation, UKRI invests £8 billion each year, via nine councils covering different STEM disciplines.

Its chief executive Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser said:

“This funding announced today will support researchers and innovators to develop game changing ideas to improve domestic, industrial and transport energy systems.

“The government has set a target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, requiring rapid decarbonisation of our energy systems. UKRI is leveraging its ability to work across disciplines to support this ambition through a major portfolio of investments that will catalyse innovation and new green energy systems”.

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The Crown Estate today announced it is speeding up oceanographic surveys in the Celtic Sea, with a view to the Westminster government’s acceptance of bids in the second half of next year.

In July the commercial body identified outline blocks between Cornwall and southern Ireland, eligible for leases.  The length of the concessions will be specified before next year’s bidding round.

Beyond a starting 4GW of generating capacity to be secured by 2035, a gargantuan 24 GWp is envisaged for ten years later, all secured with floating turbines.

Contracts have now been signed for the first phase of the new studies, set to begin in the spring and yielding greater detail on wind, wave and current patterns.

Further studies soon to follow will encompass studies of affected marine life and sea-bed seismology.  Parameters of the commercial advisor’s research will be kept under review as the programme progresses.

Whitehall anticipates accepting licencing bids for the Celtic Sea next year.

Providing successful bidders with easy access to definitive, new data will, the Crown Estate hopes, speed up the development process, and remove the need for developers to conduct their own surveys.

The Crown Estate is developing its information-sharing approach for floating turbines in the Celtic Sea in talks with key stakeholders, including industry, potential suppliers and governments in Westminster and Cardiff.

Two months ago the body told developers pre-consent surveys such as outlined today would lie at the heart of streamlining floating wind in the Celtic Sea.  Further updates will follow in 2023’s first six months of 2023, ahead of the official launch of the leasing tender.

Nicola Clay heads the Crown Estate’s new ventures unit:  She said: “A successful floating wind market in the Celtic Sea will support the UK’s journey to Net Zero and strengthen our energy security. It can also be the catalyst for new jobs, investment and supply chain opportunities.

“Ensuring these benefits are fully realised is a shared challenge, and The Crown Estate is committed to playing its part in supporting the growth of these important markets”, Clay added.

Tim Pick, co-chair of the Offshore Wind Acceleration Taskforce welcomed the prospect of awarding of survey contracts at an early stage.

He added:  “The prospect of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea is taking shape, with The Crown Estate working with government and industry to progress the leasing process and stimulate a sustainable approach to the supply chain

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