HubNet: Research Leadership and Networking for Energy Networks

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Achieving the decarbonisation of the economy while maintaining the security and reliability of the energy supply will require a profound transformation of the networks used to transport energy into and within the country. While the need is clear, the final shape of these networks is not and getting there will require a considerable amount of research. The creation of a hub will catalyse and focus the research on energy networks in the UK. In particular, this hub will provide research leadership in the field through the publication of in-depth position papers written by leaders in the field and the organisation of workshops and other mechanisms for the exchange of ideas between researchers and between researchers, industry and the public sector. It will also spur the development of innovative solutions by sponsoring speculative research in uncharted areas.The activities of the members of the hub will focus on five areas that have been identified as key to the development of future energy networks:- Design of smart grids, in particular the application of communication technologies to the operation of electricity networks and the harnessing of the demand-side for the control and optimisation of the power system.- Development of a mega-grid that would link the UK's energy network to renewable energy sources off shore, across Europe and beyond.- Research on how new materials (such as nano-composites, ceramic composites and graphene-based materials) can be used to design power equipments that are more efficient and more compact. - Development of new techniques to study the interaction between multiple energy vectors and optimally coordinate the planning and operation of energy networks under uncertainty.- Management of transition assets: while a significant amount of new network equipment will need to be installed in the coming decades, this new construction is dwarfed by the existing asset base. It is thus essential to study how the life of existing equipment can be extended under what is likely to be more extreme conditions. Investigators from Imperial College and the universities of Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester, Southampton and Strathclyde will form the core of this hub. However, other academics carrying out research in energy networks or related topics as well as industrial companies and public bodies will be encouraged to become associated members of HubNet and to contribute to its activities in setting a research agenda and seeking opportunities to collaborate in additional research and development activities.