List of Questions

A
Arup
  • 1866

    With the increase in the uptake of digital technologies and UK governments digital ambitions set out in the UK Industrial Strategy, will the use of AI and ML impact consumer behaviours, demand reduction and improved efficiency in the energy sector?


    Digital Disruption in the Energy Sector
    The uptake of smart metering and the increase in choice and information it offers appears to be having little impact on consumer behaviour in terms of demand reduction. Does AI/ML offer an opportunity to disrupt this and drive long term demand reduction and more tailored energy delivery systems.

  • 1867

    Within the context of Drax’s plans to be the UK first Carbon Negative generating plant utilising biomass and Carbon Capture and Storage Technology, please confirm whether this really offers an opportunity for future resilient and ecologically sustainable Carbon efficient electricity generation?


    Carbon Negativity – Real or Hypothetical?
    Does the use of North American timber biomass coupled with Carbon Capture and Storage technology really offer a resilient and sustainable long term solution for the UK's energy base load?Concerns around Carbon accounting and the considerable differences between growth and use cycle can only impact the long term viability of this approach.

  • 1868

    Is there a place for local decentralised energy generation in the form of local (city or district wide) CHP, CCGT within the UKs current energy mix, given the current focus on centralised low carbon electricity generating infrastructure?


    Centralised vs Decentralised - Which is best?
    There seems to be more emphasis on ‘re-centralising’ energy production, driven largely through statutory compliance such as building regulations. This is driving a change in approach, with industry moving away from local heat and power (CHP and CCGT) solutions with all the reported benefits this brought, i.e. reduced electrical transmission losses, improved operating efficiencies and an opportunity to recycle waste heat, to one focussed on the delivery of the lowest Carbon solution which is increasing the uptake of electrical energy from the grid for domestic heating despite this being economically less viable from a capex and operational perspective.

  • 1869

    What is the predicted impact on UK generating capacity as a result of the transition of heating and transport from largely fossil fuel based technologies to ones largely based on electricity supplied via the Grid?


    Capacity Challenge or not?
    The grid is muted to have little to spare in the way of running reserve. With the proposed transition of heat and the migration of transport to the grid, is there sufficient capacity without significant investment in new generating capacity or smart supply demand management in support of the UKs ever increasing electrical energy requirement.


C
Croda International
  • 1861

    What battery technologies are likely to be the most commercially succesful in the coming years?


    There are currently many competing battery technologies in development. I am interested in understanding the AIM attendees' views on technology behind the likely winners and why.


D
Dupplin Renewable Energy Company Ltd
  • 1851

    What regulatory and structural changes are required to the electricity distribution network to facilitate the localised distribution of renewable electricity in a model similar to a district heating network without materially compromising the resilience of the grid network? How can this be achieved in an economic way so as to incentivise developers to harness localised renewable electricity production?


    1. How to distribute electricity? I do not wish to distribute or retail the electricity and have had preliminary discussions with SSE Network Distribution but the issue appears to be that the heavy regulation of electricity distribution means the distributer needs to plan for zero electricity being generated from the Renewable Plant. Therefore as a developer I have duplicated costs of grid connection. What are the areas of energy policy that need to be addressed to permit more localised renewable energy generation be recognised as supporting the grid on a more localised level?

  • 1853

    What analysis / modelling is available for a multi vector approach to renewable energy production in a Scottish climate?


    3. Our renewable energy project currently envisages solar and combined heat and power. The intention being to balance electricity being supplied through the solar in the summer months with low output from the CHP plant but then as more heat is required in the network supplementing a reduced solar output with an increased CHP electricity output. I envisage battery (and hotwater) storage to be key elements of the engineering solution to optimise the energy output from the renewable energy centre and, capital constraint aside, it may be that an anaerobic digestion plant is appraised as part of the energy production mix. If there was sufficient time I would welcome discussion on the challenges 9and solutions) to balancing the different sources of renewable energy to changing energy demands both intra-day and over the course of a year.


I
ION Geophysical
  • 1859

    How do we optimise the delivery of goods (by a fleet of vehicles) to and from offshore installations whilst adhering to real world constraints and responding to an ever changing operational arena?


    Every day, fleets of Platform Supply Vessels (and other modes of transport) are moving goods to offshore installations. This is an extremely expensive but necessary operation. Could the planning of these vehicles be more efficient? Could the operations be better planned?

    This question assumes:
    • A company has a fleet of vehicles at its disposal. Each vehicle has a set of defining criteria such as capacity, deck space, weight limits, tank storage, speeds, day rates cost, fuel efficiencies etc.
    • The fleet of vehicles are used to pick up a variety of goods and deliver to the destination for example, from warehouse to port, from port (or heliport) to offshore installation.
    • The goods and locations also have a set of defining criteria, goods must be picked up and delivered by a certain time, and operational locations may have certain operating hours, out with which they cannot service vehicles. Other activities in the offshore arena may also impact / delay the delivery of goods.

    This question asks how we solve such planning problems to address our goals, be they minimised cost, minimised vehicles, or minimised delays. Once the planning problem is solved, and published we must be able to adapt the plan, responding and adapting to influences such as delays, cancellations and higher priority scheduled activities.


L
Logan Energy
  • 1854

    How can we effectively connect hydrogen generated at rural wind farms to the wider market?


    Power to gas has been identified as a way of using curtailed and constrained renewable energy, but how do we get the hydrogen generated at rural locations to the wider market?


S
SSE
  • 1870

    What 3 key innovations in the next few years will enable subsidy free onshore and offshore wind? (apart from bigger turbines!)?


    -

  • 1871

    What market conditions will drive the requirement for long duration storage? When will this occur and what market mechanisms will be required to deliver the capacity?


    -

  • 1873

    How do researchers at UoE envisage that the interaction of energy technologies and building manager / occupant energy behaviours panning out? (particularly non-domestic energy demand across a variety of building types and uses) and how can the effect of behavioural and control feedback be evaluated?


    Whilst many carbon omission reduction efforts are aimed at new-build, a focus on existing buildings is essential as much of the building stock that will be in place in the UK in 2050 is already built.


T
Tata Steel Europe
  • 1850

    What are new methodologies for storing energy short (day to day or even hr to hr), and long term (inter seasonal) that would allow increasing use of micro-grids etc. and reduce the strain on the National Grid?


  • 1863

    How can we extract useful energy from low-grade heat sources (everything from waste heat from industrial processes through to utilising the heat in bath/shower water!)?


    -


The Oil & Gas Technology Centre
  • 1846

    Cleaner Energy – How does the oil and gas industry fit into a future that produces cleaner energy in a efficient and environmentally sustainable, and is inherently more flexible in terms of power generation.


    The world is moving towards a mix of energy sources and fuels, none being dominant as it was the past. Oil & Gas will still be part of the picture for the long term, both for energy and as feedstock into industry. How to make the Oil & Gas Industry part of the decarbonisation solution rather than being part of the problem.