News

The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) has been awarded £11 million for the next four years from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Building on 20 years of success, this new investment marks a significant step forward in advancing the UK’s energy transition, focusing on interdisciplinary research and innovative solutions to real-world energy challenges. UKERC was set up in 2004 in response to growing awareness of the scale of the climate change challenge. Since then, UKERC has become a trusted source of impartial analysis, valued across political parties and by industry and NGOs alike.

UKERC’s research programme for 2024 to 2029 will address four critical, interlinked challenges:

1. The infrastructure delivery challenge: renewable energy, transmission networks and electric heat and transport requires unprecedented investment, innovation and societal acceptance.
2. The flexibility challenge: moving away from fossil fuels in cars, homes and industries means we need to find new ways to operate the energy system flexibly and reliably, whilst also integrating large amounts of wind and solar power.
3. The geopolitical challenge: addressing global energy security concerns and ensuring resilient supply chains.
4. The affordability and justice challenge: ensuring that the energy transition is fair, equitable, and accessible to all segments of society.

The new funding for UKERC has been welcomed by government, industry and NGOs.

Professor Charlotte Deane, EPSRC Executive Chair, commented:

“UKRI is committed to fostering research that has real-world impact. In the face of many challenges ahead of 2030, UKERC’s interdisciplinary approach will be instrumental in addressing the complex challenges of the energy transition, ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of global efforts to achieve a sustainable and equitable future.

“This new investment in UKERC emphasises a responsive research capability, enabling UKERC to remain adaptable to national and global changes. UKERC’s problem-solving approach will ensure the delivery of timely and impactful research outcomes.

“UKERC will continue to play a pivotal role in connecting the UK energy research portfolio, fostering career development, and promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion within the energy sector.”

Dhara Vyas, Deputy Chief Executive of Energy UK, the industry association said:

“UKERC’s independent voice in energy debates is highly valued by industry and government alike. We hugely welcome the continuity that this new award of funding provides and look forward to UKERC’s insights and evidence contributing to energy policy in the years to come.”

Dr Doug Parr, Chief Scientist at Greenpeace UK also welcomed the new funding:

“Accelerating progress towards net zero is essential and UKERC has made a long-standing contribution to achieving it. We also need to provide space for nature and seek win-wins for local environment and communities as we move to build renewable energy. I particularly welcome UKERC’s continued focus on fairness, community and environmental gain.”

Prof Robert Gross, Director of UKERC, commented:

“We are thrilled to launch the new phase of UKERC. This new phase will leverage our consortium’s combined expertise to tackle the most pressing energy challenges of our time. Our commitment to evidence-based analysis and whole-systems research will continue to drive impactful change and support the UK’s transition to a sustainable and resilient energy future.”