US–UK Scientific Forum on Sustainable Energy

March 17-18, 2021
Virtual Forum

The presumption for the Forum is that the future electricity system will be supplied largely (>70%) by variable, renewable generation, which will require short, medium and long-term energy storage to ensure stability and continuation of electricity supply. The Forum considered the wider energy system only where this impacts energy storage in a future electricity system (e.g., EV to grid).

• Agenda
• Participant List
• Forum Report

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Welcome

Chris Llewellyn Smith, and Steve Koonin, co-chairs

Outline of the US/UK electricity systems and the current research and demonstration programmes to decarbonise them

• UK and US electricity systems: the basics – Dermot Nolan
• Electrical storage in support of the grid – Patricia Hoffman
• UKRI’s contribution to decarbonising the energy system – Lynn Gladden
• Reliable decarbonised future US electricity systems – Nate Lewis

Panel Members:
Lucy Martin, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Patricia Hoffman, US Department of Energy
Nate Lewis, California Institute of Technology
Dermot Nolan, Fingleton

 

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Session 1 – Managing a High Renewables Grid

Chair: Steve Koonin, National Academy of Sciences

• The Evolving Grid – Patrick Hogan
• Assessing the need for future energy storage – Tony Roulstone

Panel Members:
Ana Barillas, Aurora Energy
Professor Joseph DeCarolis, NC State University
Paul Denholm, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Patrick Hogan, Utility Technology Solutions
Tony Roulstone, University of Cambridge
Marcus Stewart, National Grid

 

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Session 2 – Storage Technologies I

Chair: Clare Grey, University of Cambridge

Batteries and electrochemical storage

• Li and Na-ion batteries for grid scale energy storage – Peter Bruce
• Batteries for a zero-carbon grid: present status and opportunities – Venkat Srinivasan

Panel Members:
Nigel Brandon, Imperial College
Peter Bruce, Faraday Institute & University of Oxford
Professor Steve Davis, University of California
Steve Davis, University of California, Irvine
Venkat Srinivasan, Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science

 

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Session 2 – Storage Technologies I, continued

Chair: Steve Koonin, National Academy of Sciences

Alternative energy storage methods

• Thermal Energy Storage for a net-zero future – Yulong Ding
• Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES): Executive overview – Robert Schainker

Panel Members:
Yulong Ding, University of Birmingham
Phil Eames, Loughborough University
James Klausner, Michigan State University
Robert Schainker, Electric Power Research Institute

 

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Session 3 – Storage Technologies II

Chair: Bill David, University of Oxford

Hydrogen and Ammonia Production

• Cost reduction of large scale electrolysis for energy applications – Katherine Ayers
• Ammonia: a pathway to market – Trevor Brown

Panel Members:
Katherine Ayers, Nel Hydrogen US
Trevor Brown, Ammonia Energy Association
Paul Chirik, Princeton University
Deborah Jones, University of Montpellier
Thomas Mallouk, University of Pennsylvania
Marcus Newborough, ITM Power

Hydrogen and Ammonia Utilization

• Decarbonising our energy ecosystem with gas turbines – Jeffrey Goldmeer
• Future fuels and fuel cells – Mark Selby

Panel Members:
Sally Benson, Stanford University
Jeffrey Goldmeer, General Electric Gas Power
Anthony McDaniel, Sandia National Laboratories
Jane Patterson, Ricardo UK
Mark Selby, Ceres Power
Rob Stevens, Yara

Policy issues relating to technology introduction

• Cameron Hepburn, University of Oxford
• Judith Judson, National Grid
• Mike Muskett, Technical Consultant

 

Session 4 – Closing Discussion

Reflections and Concluding Remarks

• Steve Koonin, event co-chair
• Chris Llewellyn Smith FRS, event co-chair
• Paul Monks, UK Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy