Towards digital solutions for the Net-Zero UK North Sea energy hub: The digital Emissions Atlas prototype

新冠肺炎疫情严重影响了北海的油气勘探和生产，突显了加快向净零排放能源过渡的重要性，而净零排放能源是英国实现2050年气候目标的关键。这个项目的主要动机是认识到英国能源行业必须专注于从石油和天然气向无碳生产的过渡。在这个项目中，我们建议开发一个数字北海排放地图集，以支持英国能源部门的脱碳，并为互联的英国数字北海的出现做出贡献。我们创新的重点是排放图谱的原型，这是一个灵活的排放监测数据库，为英国一个主要的北海净零排放能源枢纽创建了一个地理空间门户网站。排放图谱将能够以成本效益的方式监测与以下相关的温室气体排放：\*能源过渡期间供国内需求的石油和天然气生产；\*石油和天然气基础设施的退役/废弃；\*生产天然气(主要是甲烷)用于蓝氢燃料生产；\*碳捕获和储存在地下，与蓝氢生产协同或不协同。排放图谱将基于学术界和工业界的公开数据。在该项目中，我们将研究和开发创新技术，以支持监测温室气体排放所需的复杂数据类型的可扩展数据管理，编制一个广泛的数据库，并开发建模方法，以使用基于物理的模型从数据中获得通量估计。排放图谱原型的交付成果包括一个演示产品，作为短期开发完全商业化产品的基础。我们预计排放地图集将通过增加其提供的专业咨询和软件产品的范围，帮助在无碳能源市场建立IGI。因此，该项目将有助于使IGI处于有利地位，支持英国乃至全球的能源转型。该项目预计将帮助英国实现2050年净零排放目标，从而对英国产生积极的气候影响。从中期来看，该原型将得到扩展，以具备支持未来英国脱碳产业的能力。IGI将促进平等、多样性和包容性，让妇女担任一半以上的项目角色，包括管理和研发。

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected oil and gas exploration and production in the North Sea and highlighted the importance of accelerating the transition to net-zero emissions energy, a key to achieving the UK's 2050 climate targets. The primary motivation for this project is the recognition that the UK energy industry must focus on the transition from oil and gas to carbon-free production.In this project, we propose to develop a digital North Sea Emissions Atlas to support the decarbonisation of the UK energy sector and contribute to the emergence of the connected UK Digital North Sea. The focus of our innovation is the prototype of the Emissions Atlas, a flexible emissions monitoring database feeding a geospatial portal, created for a major UK North Sea net-zero emissions energy hub.The Emissions Atlas will enable the cost-effective monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions associated with:\* oil and gas production for domestic needs during the energy transition;\* decommissioning/abandonment of oil and gas infrastructure;\* production of natural gas (mainly methane) for blue hydrogen fuel generation;\* carbon capture and storage in the subsurface, in synergy or not with blue hydrogen production.The Emissions Atlas will be based on open data from academia and industry. Within the project, we will research and develop innovative techniques to support the scalable data management of the complex data types required for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, compile an extensive database, and develop modelling methods to obtain flux estimates from the data using physics-based models.The deliverables of the Emissions Atlas prototype include a demonstrator product to serve as basis for the short-term development of a fully commercial product. We anticipate the Emissions Atlas will help establish IGI in the carbon-free energy market by increasing the range of specialist consultancy and software products it provides. This project will thus contribute to placing IGI in a strong position to support the energy transition in the UK, and ultimately globally. This project is expected to have a positive climate impact for the UK by helping it reach the 2050 net-zero emissions target. The prototype will, on the medium-term, be extended to have the capacity to support the future UK decarbonisation industry. IGI will promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, involving women in more than half of the project roles, including management and R&D.