Industry invests £600,000 to support acceleration of the UK energy transition
03 September 2024
Companies operating in the UK energy sector are backing the University of Aberdeen’s research into the Energy Transition to the tune of £600,000 to support the creation of a new research initiative focused on decarbonising the oil and gas sector and advancing the shift to clean energy.
Image: University of Aberdeen
Nine companies – BP, Chevron, CNOOC, ExxonMobil, Equinor, Harbour Energy, Shell, Spirit Energy and TotalEnergies, and endorsed by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) – are involved in the initiative. They are providing the funding to support training and PhD studentships as part of a new Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) based in the School of Geosciences.
Led by Professor John Underhill, the University’s Director for Energy Transition, the new initiative will focus on delivering world-class academic research to accelerates the energy transition by equipping a new generation of researchers with the skills, knowledge and expertise required to provide energy security yet reduce emissions and decarbonise.
Acknowledging the significance of the award, Professor John Underhill said: “The starting point on the journey to net zero is very challenging as oil and gas still provides three quarters of the UK’s energy needs and finding ways to decarbonize industry at pace while supplementing this activity with carbon storage, wind farms, geothermal and other renewable technologies.
“In supporting these studentships our funders have sent a strong message about the confidence industry has in the Centre’s ability to progress the energy transition and support the industry’s shift to a cleaner future.
“The University of Aberdeen has a long history of delivering innovative solutions that address current and future energy challenges. Over the past 10 years we’ve had 110 PhD students graduate from our existing CDTs, all of whom have been employed in a relevant discipline, showing the relevance of the programmes, and the appetite that exists for highly skilled and well-trained practitioners in the energy sector.”
“Being situated in Europe’s energy capital and a city renowned throughout the world for technological development and inspiring solutions, we are best placed and well connected to understand the needs of the industry and make a real difference by offering practical solutions that ensure Britain has the secure and reliable low-carbon energy sources it needs.”
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