Energy Futures Bulletin Q2 2022
UK-wide Net Zero target moves closer
Engineers at Northumbria University are developing a new system for recycling carbon dioxide and water into renewable fuels. £50k has been awarded to Dr Shahid Rasul and his team by the Northern Accelerator to further develop their inexpensive copper-based catalyst that converts CO2 into both gas and liquid fuels. This funding will cement an existing collaboration between Northumbria University and SUEZ recycling and recovery UK. You can find out more about this at: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/news-events/news/suez-fuelresearch/
NEBA Conference
Northumbria University co-hosted the Northeast Battery Alliance (NEBA) Conference, on the 10th and 11th May 2022. There were more than 120 attendees from five Northeast universities and relevant industries. The day commenced with a speech by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Projects), Prof. George Marston followed by several keynote talks along with a panel session, skills and academic poster sessions. Prof. Ghanim Putrus delivered a keynote talk highlighting research on battery technologies. Prof. Neil Beattie chaired the panel session with researchers and industry that focused on some of the materials challenges and opportunities in the field of battery research.
Grant Successes
Academics across Energy Futures have had recent success in funding. • Dr Ulugbek Azimov has recently completed a project funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering that contributed to sustainability in Africa. (https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/ about-us/newsevents/news/northumbriacontributes-to-sustainabledevelopment-in-africa/) and has recently secured £12k from the Royal Society International Exchanges Scheme Grant. • Dr Rajesh Bommareddy has received £62k from the BBSRC NIBB for research into carbon recycling • Dr Prashant Agrawal has been awarded a Royal Society Research Grant to develop heat pipes that mimic the venation of leaves for enhanced heat and mass transport. He has also received a Northern Accelerator Connecting Capability Fund to develop a low energy platform for enriching micro-nano particulates from liquid solutions.
EPSRC CDT in ReNU
ReNU was awarded 3-day exhibition space in Glasgow at the EPSRC Engineering Net Zero event to showcase our activities in this area. Doctoral candidates and staff hosted the stand daily to explain their projects and showcase renewable energy demonstrators to a wide audience including academics, industrialists and policy makers. ReNU’s third annual report is now available on ReNU’s website where you can also see details of our recent accreditation! Follow us on Twitter too @CDT_ReNU For more details please contact neil.beattie@northumbria.ac.uk