Transforming the energy industry

Our work supports global initiatives to mitigate the effects of climate change and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.

This includes work on new energy systems such as:

• hydrogen power and geothermal energy
• subsurface energy storage
• changes in individual and societal awareness and decision making
• buffering mechanisms such as carbon capture and storage 

We have led the way towards the development and deployment of carbon capture and underground storage (CCS) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our internationally renowned research on CCS and negative emissions has underpinned the development of crucial technologies needed to deliver economy-wide decarbonisation for the UK and global industry. 

Through our work, we have established the feasibility of a net-zero target for CO2 emissions. We work within the UK and across the world, supporting the development of technologies to deliver emissions reductions from industry and fuels and enable the delivery of net-zero emissions targets to meet the UN Paris Agreement. 

We have also expanded our research into the field of negative emissions, also known as greenhouse gas removals. This involves the direct removal of CO2 from the atmosphere to enable reaching net-zero emissions required to stabilise climate change.

We appointed the first professor in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in the world, Professor Stuart Haszeldine, and have unrivalled expertise in this critical area including one of the largest CCS research groups globally.

Scottish Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage

We are partners in the Scottish Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS), and Professor Haszeldine is the SSCS Director. SCCS has the unique position to act as the conduit between academia, industry and government.