Materials for Energy

Energy is an area where materials technology will play a particularly important role in meeting the needs of the future.

The growing importance of environmental issues is such that energy generation, conservation, storage and security of supply will continue to be major drivers for materials technology. We need sustainable energy production and use while at the same time meeting socio economic and environmental targets:

The high priority of energy makes it important to sustain research, development and modelling of materials for energy applications.
- The UK should set out to recover, capture and develop the knowledge-base of high integrity structural materials for future power generation.
- The UK should examine transferable material solutions and methods across the complete energy portfolio to attain maximum competitive advantage.

The global focus on energy is an opportunity to develop world-class knowledge and capability in the UK in materials for energy generation, low energy processing and energy conservation, and to attract investment (including inward investment)  

Contacts

Energy Materials Meeting the Challenge

9th - 10th October 2008
Burleigh Court Conference Centre, Loughborough, UK

Following the launch and publication of the Materials UK Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for Energy Materials in December 2007, a 2 day conference will be held on 9-10th October 2008 which will highlight the vital role of materials, and the progress made to date, in meeting the challenges identified in the SRA and in tackling climate change.

The conference will cover materials technology developments & future requirements for energy generation (fossil, nuclear & renewables) and supply (transmission, distribution & storage). In particular, it will highlight the UK strengths and business opportunities being created in this sector.

This will be a major event sponsored by Materials UK, the Energy Technologies Institute, major industrialists from the UK Energy supply chain and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.

The provisional programme is available for download here (PDF 227KB)

For full details visit   http://energymats.lboro.ac.uk

UK Power Generation Supply Chain Status - Document Published

The UK Power Generation Supply Chain Mapping Document has now been published and is available for download. Please click on the image of the document below to download the file

Top

Going Nuclear Again

Following on from the Energy Materials Strategic Research Agenda reports released in 2007, Professor George Smith writes in the March issue of Materials World Magazine about the future of nuclear power in the UK. He reviews the UK and Global status of nuclear power as well as the technological challenges and opportunities for the UK in developing and building new nuclear installations.

The article is available to download here in PDF format.

Top

1st May 2008
NAMTEC, Swinden House, Rotherham

Following the successful launch of the Strategic Research Agenda for Energy Materials, Materials UK, with the support of meta4 , the metals and alloys node of the Materials KTN, held a dissemination event on the status of the supply chains for the UK Power Generation Sector.

The workshop was held at the National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC), Rotherham, on the 1st May

At the event the findings of a report commissioned by the Energy Materials Working Group of Materials UK: "The Mapping of Materials Supply Chains in the UK's Power Generation Sector" were presented.

The presentations from the day are available for download below.

Top

TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY BOARD - AUTUMN CALLS FOR FUNDING

Two funding calls have now been announced for Autumn 2007:

Materials for Energy
The Technology Strategy Board and EPSRC have allocated and indicative amount of £12M to fund highly innovative collaborative research proposals in Materials for Energy. Funding is available for industry-led collaborative projects. To download details of the funding call, please click here to down load the PDF.

Low Carbon Technologies
The Technology Strategy Board has allocated an indicative amount of £10M to invest in highly innovative research in Low Carbon Technologies. This competition will support a relatively broad portfolio of low carbon technologies that will focus of specific barriers which need to addressed if these technologies are to be brought to market. To download details of this funding call, please click here to download the PDF.

Full details of all Technology Strategy Board calls are to be found on the website: http://www.technologyprogramme.org.uk

top

STRATEGIC RESEARCH AGENDA - MINISTERIAL LAUNCH

4th December 2007, Tate Britain, Millbank, London

The Energy Materials Strategic Research Agenda was launched on Tuesday 4th December in the Clore Auditorium, Tate Britain, Millbank, London. The Strategic Research agenda documents and the presentations are available to download in PDF format below. (Documents will open in a new window)

Documents

Strategic Research Agenda Document PDF 3.3MB

Fossil Energy PDF 1.21MB

Nuclear Energy PDF 1MB

Alternative Energy PDF 2MB

Transmission Distribution and Storage PDF 1.65MB

Press Release PDF 43KB

Presentations

Welcome & Background; Wyn Jones OBE, Chairman MatUK (PDF 123KB)

Keynote Address; Sir Brian Bender, Permanent Secretary, BERR (PDF 22KB)

Industrial perspective; Nick Otter OBE, Director of Technology, Alstom Power (PDF 679KB)

Research Perspective; John Wand MBE, EPRSC, Director of Materials Programme (PDF 141 KB)

Technology Strategy Board Perspective, Iain Gray, CEO (PDF 201KB)

Energy Technology Institute, Dave Clarke, Director ETI (PDF 213KB)

Presentation of the Strategic Research Agenda

Introduction - Dr Derek Allen (PDF 915KB)

Fossil Energy - Dr Colin Small (PDF 1.54MB)

Nuclear Energy - Professor George Smith (PDF 305 KB)

Alternative Energies - Dr John Oakey (PDF 786 KB)

Transmission, Distribution and Storage - Dr Ziad Melhem (PDF 1 MB)

Summary and Conclusion - Dr Derek Allen (PDF 291 KB)

MATERIALS WORLD - ENERGY SPECIAL ISSUE

The July issue of Materials World features a number of articles on Energy and Materials for Energy.

Powering the nation
The Energy Materials Working Group has published its plans for developing its Strategic Research Agenda and deployment plan in an article written for the July edition.
Click here to download pdf

Searching for solutions
George Morris of QinetiQ explains why materials are important for energy technology developments.
Click here to download pdf

Fuel of promise
The UK’s National Physical Laboratory is stepping up research to create commercially viable fuel cells.
Click here to download pdf

Materials for energy
Imperial College London, UK, is at the forefront in energy materials research.
Click here to download pdf

Top

ENERGY WHITE PAPER PUBLISHED

23 May 2007
The Government today published its White Paper on Energy. A full copy of the document is available for download here.

Energy White Paper (PDF) 6.55MB

Also available is a copy of the transcript of the Rt Hon Alistair Darling's speech.

Speech Transcript (PDF ) 49KB

Top

‘WORKSHOP ON ENERGY MATERIALS - DEFINING R&D PRIORITIES’

DTI Conference Centre, 1 Victoria Street, London.

Friday, 24th November 2006

This meeting was held to disseminate the terms of reference of this Group and more importantly launch Task Groups which will embrace the wider materials community involved in the Energy Sector and obtain their input into the UK materials requirements relating to Energy generation, storage, transmission & distribution, conservation and security of supply.

The presentations from this Town Meeting are Available for download below. Please click on the links to download the files.

Introduction and Agenda
Dr Derek Allen
PDF ( 163KB)

Materials UK
Dr David Bott
PDF (4.6MB)

Energy Materials Terms of Reference
PDF ( 878KB)

Fossil & Nuclear
Dr Derek Allen, A Turnbull, I Cook)
PDF (2.79MB)

Alternative Energy Challenges
Oakey, Cane, Kilner
PDF (2.81MB)

Breakout Sessions
Introduction

PDF ( 36KB)

Outputs from Break out Sessions

Fossil Fuels Breakout session
PDF (47KB)

Nuclear Breakout Session
PDF (37KB)

Alternative Energy - wind, wave, tidal and solar
PDF (15KB)

Alternative Energy - Biomass, fuel cells and hydrogen
PDF (16KB)

Members Area