The UK is funding three energy research hubs including one covering the offshore renewables sector as part of the Supergen initiative, according to the country’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
The Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy hub, together with similar initiatives for bioenergy and networks, are each receiving £5m.
They aim to bring together academics from 19 universities and 70 stakeholders, including 22 from industry.
The offshore hub, which will be led by Plymouth University’s Deborah Greaves, will focus on wave, tidal and offshore wind.
It will “address technical, environmental and interdisciplinary challenges which require a coordinated response at national and regional level”, EPSRC said.
Funding for it will come from the Natural Environment Research Council.
The bioenergy hub will be led by Aston University’s Patricia Thornley, with Phil Taylor from Newcastle University leading the networks hub.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council will fund the bioenergy hub, with the Economic and Social Research Council also providing financial backing for the hubs.
A so-called SuperSolar Network is also being set up. The £1m network will act as a knowledge exchange mechanism for PV research in the UK. It will be led by John Walls from Loughborough University.
EPSRC executive chair Philip Nelson said: “As we move towards a low carbon future we need to explore the fundamental science that can spark new technologies and systems as well as linking researchers to industry to meet their needs.
“As the threats from climate change become ever-more apparent there is a pressing need for the UK, and the world, to act collaboratively to address the challenges of clean energy production, distribution and storage.”
The Supergen programme was set up in 2001 to deliver coordinated research on sustainable power generation and supply.
Image: reNEWS
Supergen targets offshore powers
By EBS