PA 249/10
Nottingham’s next generation of energy researchers gathered in China to discuss the best ways of tackling the challenges of climate change.
Research students from the University of Nottingham met their counterparts in China for a Summer School on the latest energy technologies — which are helping to turn fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas into ‘clean’ sources of power.
More than 70 participants shared ideas on the latest research in this rapidly-advancing field and latest policy developments, which must balance increasing demands for energy with growing concern about the effect of carbon emissions on the global climate.
Click here for full story
The event, the first summer school of the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) Centre in Efficient Fossil Energy Technologies, was organised by The University of Nottingham and hosted by Southeast University in Nanjing, one of Nottingham’s research partner institutions.
Most similar doctoral training events are held in the UK, but Nottingham has particularly strong links with China and course leaders are keen for students to get a global perspective on the issue.
Professor Michèle Clarke, Professor of Environmental Climate Change in the University of Nottingham’s School of Geography, managed the Summer School.
Professor Clarke: “This event provided a wonderful opportunity for the next generation of engineers, scientists and political leaders to work in partnership to find innovative solutions to these global challenges. The friendships and personal networks developed through mutual cooperation and shared understandings will ensure that future stewardship of UK and Chinese energy technologies lies in capable hands.”
Leading academic speakers from The University of Nottingham gave talks at the event ranging from ‘A UK perspective of cleaner coal technologies' to ‘climate change impacts on China and the UK and implications for the energy sector.’
The subsequent group workshop sessions and student presentations gave the opportunity to research students from both The University of Nottingham and Chinese participants from the Chevening Young Leaders Programme, to collaborate and address the challenges in formulating energy policies and solutions for adopting new technologies in clean energy production. For both China and the UK, creating the right mix of sources of energy was considered as critical.
Nottingham Research Engineer, Abdul Samiu Nuamah, said: “The China Summer School provided the platform for interacting with Chinese students who are undertaking research in similar fields and the opportunity to meet and discuss the future energy policies with the young leaders of China.”
Both the UK and China are highly dependent on electricity production from fossil fuels and although renewable sources — such as wind, solar, hydro — provide cleaner alternatives, they are not yet implemented widely enough to meet all energy needs. Thus new solutions are needed so that fossil fuels can continue to be used for electricity generation for the foreseeable future, in a way that minimises impact on our environment.
The University of Nottingham is a leader in many clean energy fields, such as carbon capture and storage — removing carbon emissions from coal and locking them up inside rocks.
In the UK, Government targets of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 poses significant challenges for energy producers. The rate of development in China and the rising demand for energy poses equally difficult problems.
The Efficient Fossil Energy Technologies EngD Centre at The University of Nottingham is supported by a £6m training grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, with an additional £2.5m support from industry and a recently-announced supplement of £0.75m from EPSRC to broaden the range of projects.
The Centre aims to create the next generation of energy leaders, who will be at the forefront of research in the years to come and will lead the implementation of fossil energy technologies with near-zero emissions.
The Centre is led by Professor Colin Snape of The University of Nottingham in partnership with Loughborough University, the University of Birmingham and major companies including RWE nPower, Alstom Power UK and Doosan Power Systems.
More information on the EngD Centre is at: http://www.engineering.nottingham.ac.uk/efet/
The Chevening Young Leaders Programme is sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and delivered by the China Policy Institute (CPI), the research institute of Nottingham’s School of Contemporary Chinese Studies. It provides a 13-week training programme for Chinese mid-career professionals selected by the All China Youth Federation.
— Ends —
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Times as Britain's “only truly global university”, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 39,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.
The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.
More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news
Facts and figures at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/about/facts/factsandfigures.aspx