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Transforming our future

Energy storage: automotive and grids

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Add to Calendar 01/23/18 09:00 AM 01/23/18 05:30 PM United Kingdom (GMT) Energy storage: automotive and grids This conference aims to bring together national and international leaders in energy storage systems and is intended for participants from across academia, industry and government. The Royal Society, London, SW1Y 5AG
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Overview

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Energy is of immense societal importance, pervading all areas life, and high performance energy storage systems will be essential in developing a sustainable future economy. As such, energy storage systems represent a key area of scientific and engineering endeavour now and in the future. There is great potential for next generation technologies to change the way we live and disrupt existing industries, generating new start-up companies and economic opportunities for the UK and elsewhere.

Realising the potential for energy storage systems across all aspects of our modern economy and society requires transformational science and engineering closely allied with industry and government. This conference will look at the fundamental advances necessary to “move the dial” in performance and cost, how breakthroughs are pulled through innovation into commercialisation, and the policy issues related to advancing energy storage for automotive and grids.

Attending this event

This conference aims to bring together national and international leaders in energy storage systems and is intended for participants from across academia, industry and government.

Contact the Industry team for more information.

About the conference series

The conference is part of the Society's Transforming our future conference series, launched to address the major scientific and technical challenges of the next decade and beyond. Each conference will focus on one topic and will seek to cover key issues, including:

  • The current state of the key industry sectors involved
  • The position of the UK and how it can benefit from the technology
  • The future direction of research
  • The challenges faced in turning research into commercial success
  • The skills base needed to deliver major economic scientific advances
  • The wider social and economic impacts

The conferences are a key component of the Society’s five-year Science, Industry and Translation initiative which demonstrates our commitment to reintegrate science and industry at the Society and to promote science and its value by connecting academia, industry and government.

Battery. Image credit: alengo
Image credit: alengo

Organisers

Professor Peter Bruce FRS

Wolfson Chair in Materials, University of Oxford, and Physical Secretary and Vice-President, The Royal Society

Professor Peter Bruce FRS

Wolfson Chair in Materials, University of Oxford, and Physical Secretary and Vice-President, The Royal Society

Peter Bruce is Wolfson Professor of Materials at the University of Oxford. His research interests embrace materials chemistry and electrochemistry, with a particular emphasis on energy storage. Recent efforts have focused on the synthesis and understanding of new cathode materials for lithium and sodium ion batteries, understanding processes in all solid-state batteries and the challenges of the lithium-air battery. His pioneering work has provided many advances.

Peter has received numerous awards, including the Tilden Prize of the RSC, the Carl Wagner Award of the ECS, the Liversidge Award of the RSC and the Hughes Medal of the RS. He has also been recognised as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics each year since 2015.

Peter is a founder and Chief Scientist of the Faraday Institution, the UK centre for research on electrochemical energy storage. Peter took up the position of Physical Secretary and Vice President of the Royal Society in 2018.

Professor Clare Grey FRS, University of Cambridge, UK and Stony Brook University, USA

Professor Clare Grey FRS, University of Cambridge, UK and Stony Brook University, USA

Clare P Grey is the Geoffrey Moorhouse-Gibson Professor of Chemistry at Cambridge University and a Fellow of Pembroke College Cambridge. She received a BA and DPhil (1991) in Chemistry from the University of Oxford.  After post-doctoral fellowships in the Netherlands and at DuPont CR&D in Wilmington, DE, she joined the faculty at Stony Brook University (SBU) as an Assistant (1994), Associate (1997) and then Full Professor (2001 – 2015).  She moved to Cambridge in 2009, maintaining an adjunct position at SBU. She was director (2009 – 2010) and associate director (2011 – 2014) of the Northeastern Chemical Energy Storage Center, a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center. Recent honours/awards include the Research Award from the International Battery Association (2013), the Royal Society Davy Award (2014), the Arfvedson-Schlenk-Preis from the German Chemical Society (2015), the Société Chimique de France, French-British Prize (2017) and the International Solid State Ionics Galvani-Nernst-Wagner Mid-Career Award (2017), of which she is the first recipient. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 2017 has been elected as a Foreign Member of the American Academy of Arts and Science and Fellow of the Electrochemical Society. Her current research interests include the use of solid state NMR and diffraction-based methods to determine structure-function relationships in materials for energy storage (batteries and supercapacitors), conversion (fuel cells) and carbon capture.

Dr Ralf Speth KBE FREng, Jaguar Land Rover

Dr Ralf Speth KBE FREng, Jaguar Land Rover

Ralf Speth was appointed to the post of Chief Executive Officer at Jaguar Land Rover on February 18, 2010. Prior to this appointment, he was Head of Global Operations at the international industrial gases and engineering company, The Linde Group. Ralf Speth started his business career at BMW leaving after 20 years to join Ford Motor Company's Premier Automotive Group (PAG). He earned a Doctorate of Engineering and is an Industrial Professor at the University of Warwick.  He has also been awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Born in Roth, Germany, he is married with two daughters.

Professor Nigel Brandon OBE FREng, Imperial College London

Professor Nigel Brandon OBE FREng, Imperial College London

Professor Nigel Brandon is an electrochemical engineer whose research interests are focussed on the science and engineering of electrochemical devices for energy applications, in particular fuel cells, batteries and electrolysers. He is Director of the Sustainable Gas Institute at Imperial College London, addressing the challenges and role of natural gas in the energy system, Director of the EPSRC funded Hydrogen and Fuel Cell SUPERGEN Hub, and Co-Director of the Energy SuperStore Hub. He is a founder of the fuel cell company Ceres Power, has published over 170 papers, and holds 15 patents. He has been awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Medal for his contribution to fuel cell engineering leading to commercial exploitation, and the ASME Francis Bacon Medal for his contribution to fuel cell science, engineering and education.

 

Dr Ryan Bayliss, University of Oxford

Dr Ryan Bayliss, University of Oxford

Dr Ryan Bayliss is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Materials and an Oxford Martin Fellow in the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford. Originally trained as a solid-state inorganic chemist his scientific research interests are focused on materials discovery and development of electrochemical devices for energy applications though he retains a broader interest in all aspects of energy, including energy engineering, systems and economics. Prior to joining Oxford, he was a member of the US Department of Energy Battery Hub, the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research based at Argonne National Laboratory looking at beyond Li-ion battery chemistries.

Schedule

08:30-09:00
Registration and refreshments
09:00-09:10
Welcome remarks

Speakers

Professor Alexander Halliday FRS, Physical Secretary and Vice-President, the Royal Society

Professor Alexander Halliday FRS, Physical Secretary and Vice-President, the Royal Society

Alex Halliday has been Professor of Geochemistry at Oxford University since October 2004. Before coming to Oxford, he spent twelve years as a professor at the University of Michigan and then six years in Switzerland, where he was Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the ETH in Zürich. His research involves the use of isotopic methods to study Earth and planetary processes. 

Halliday's research accomplishments have received widespread international recognition.  In addition, he is a former President of the Geochemical Society, the European Association of Geochemistry, and the Volcanology, Geochemistry and Petrology Section of the American Geophysical Union. He has experience with a range of top science boards and advisory panels. At Oxford he was Head of the Division of Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (science and engineering) from 2007 to 2015. He was elected Vice President (Physical Secretary) of the Royal Society in 2014.

09:10-09:20
Ministerial address
09:20-11:00
The opportunities for energy storage
3 talks
Energy policy approaches and the energy transition

Abstract

The energy sector is in a period of unprecedented transition, driven by the forces of decarbonisation, decentralisation, and digitalisation. The recent impact of these forces on the sector will be briefly described. With decentralisation and digitalisation, the roles of participants – suppliers, system operators and consumers – will change, as will the way in which transmission and distribution is managed. New market participants will emerge to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the need to ensure greater system flexibility. The consumer will increasingly become an active participant rather than a passive recipient of energy as a commodity. While this disruption will be most evident across the electricity sector, changes driven by the decarbonisation agenda and the march of technology will be felt strongly also in the buildings and transport sectors. Industrial processes will undergo radical transformation. How will energy storage play into all of this? What roles will it play and how quickly will it scale? What policy and regulatory approaches are needed to facilitate the achievement of secure, affordable, and clean energy while incentivising innovation, including in the use of storage? What approaches will best produce an efficiently functioning market with appropriate protection of the consumer?

Speakers

Joan MacNaughton, CB, The Climate Group

Joan MacNaughton, CB, The Climate Group

Joan MacNaughton is an influential figure in international energy and climate policy.

She is currently Chair of The Climate Group and of the Advisory Board of the New Energy Coalition of Europe. She sits on the Strategic Advisory Board of Engie UK, is a Non -Executive Director of the James Hutton Institute and the Energy Savings Trust, a member of the Council of Warwick University, and sits on several other advisory boards.

From 2010 to 2016, Joan was Executive Chair of the annual assessment of countries' energy policies for the World Energy Council, the 'Trilemma', and is now Honorary Chair. In 2012 she was Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Policy Dialogue of the CDM. From 2006-2012, she served on the Board of Governors, Argonne Laboratory at the University of Chicago where she chaired the Budget Committee; and co-chaired the Strategic review of Laboratory Operations. She has served on many Boards, including the International Emission Trading Association (IETA), of which she is now an honorary Fellow. She is an Honorary Fellow and Past President of the Energy Institute; a Distinguished Fellow of both the Institue of Energy Economics of Japan, and of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils. From 2007 to 2013 she was Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, and has lectured at the LSE, UCL, Warwick University and many other institutions. For several years she has moderated a roundtable of Ministers and CEO’s at the annual Clean Energy Ministerial Meeting.

From 2002, as Director General of Energy, Joan played a key role in shaping UK energy policy. In that role she led a major change programme and made a significant contribution to international energy policy, including overseeing the energy agenda during the UK Presidency of the EU and leading the work on the Clean Energy Action Plan agreed at the G8 Gleneagles Summit. From 2004 to 2006, she was Chair of the Governing Board of the International Energy Agency, leading a review of  the IEA’s strategy and leading the emergency response to the supply disruption caused by Hurricane Katrina.

In a second career in business, Joan set up and then led Alstom’s department for clean power advocacy from 2007 until 2011, and until December 2012 acted as Global Adviser on Sustainable Policies for the company.

She spent six years as a NED of a FTSE 250 property development company.

In 2006 she was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath by HM The Queen. She is married to Sir Bill Jeffrey, and is also known as Lady Jeffrey.

Energy storage and the grid

Speakers

Dr Jorge Pikunic, Managing Director, Distributed Energy and Power, Centrica

Dr Jorge Pikunic, Managing Director, Distributed Energy and Power, Centrica

Jorge is Managing Director of Centrica’s global Distributed Energy & Power business, established to deliver distributed energy solutions for large energy users as part of a more flexible energy landscape.

He joined Centrica in 2010, first heading up the Group’s strategy team before taking over as Managing Director of British Gas’ Smart Metering business, where he lead the roll-out of smart meters to over one million residential customers. 

Born in Venezuela, Jorge is an engineer and holds a MSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering. He was also a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford before joining McKinsey & Company, where he advised a number of institutions in energy and other sectors. He has also worked for Procter & Gamble and PDVSA (Venezuelan national oil company), and was a Board Director of Smart Energy GB. 


Transport energy storage

Abstract

The Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technology Office (VTO) funds high-reward/high-risk research conducted by national laboratories, universities, and industry – and attempts to develop low-cost and high-performance automotive batteries necessary for the consumer acceptance of electric vehicles (EV) in the marketplace. In 2017, VTO battery R&D funding approached $100 million.  The status of current VTO-funded battery R&D projects will be discussed in this talk and associated R&D issues will be highlighted.. Current battery technology performance is far below its theoretically possible limits and near-term opportunities exist to more than double the battery pack specific energy (250 Wh/kg) and reduce the cost by more than half for lithium-ion technology by using new high-capacity cathode materials, high capacity silicon or intermetallic alloy anodes, or lithium metal battery technology. Further, VTO’s research on extreme fast charging attempts to significantly cut the time that it takes to recharge an EV battery.

Speakers

David Howell, Deputy Director, Vehicle Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy

David Howell, Deputy Director, Vehicle Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy

Dave Howell is the Deputy Director of the Office of Vehicle Technologies, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters, in Washington, DC with overall responsibility for VTO’s portfolio of R&D projects. He is currently also the Program Manager for Battery and Electrification Research with direct responsibility of projects on electric drive vehicle batteries, electric drive components, and vehicle charging.  He also serves as DOE’s representative at the United States Advanced Battery Consortium Management Committee and at international organizations and inter-government forums involved in hybrid and electric drive transportation. Earlier, Dave was a member of the research staff of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where he was the Project Manager for Aerospace Technologies. Prior to that, he served on active duty at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio where he was the Program Manager for Advanced Materials for Space Structures at the Air Force Materials Laboratory. Dave received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from theUniversity of Tennessee at Knoxville.

11:00-11:30
Coffee and networking
11:30-13:20
The techno-economic potential of energy storage
4 talks
Faraday’s challenge – Electrochemical energy storage

Abstract

In 1815 Michael Faraday visited Alessandro Volta in Italy and was presented with a gift of a voltaic pile –  the first battery, the first device to turn chemical energy into an electrical current. Armed with a controllable source of electricity, Faraday embarked on a series of experiments that led to the electrical dynamo and the electrical motor. His practical inventions were seized upon by Maxwell to construct the theory of electromagnetism, which itself has been the foundation of most of modern physics and technology. 

However, the availability of cheap fossil fuels and the challenges of building low cost electrical storage systems gave combustion engines a century of dominance that is only now coming to an end. Battery manufacturers have announced a 6-fold increase in capacity by 2025, predominantly for electric vehicles, but also for the electricity grid. As this science-driven technology matures, the impact of cheap, clean, efficient, mobile power will echo throughout the economy. 

Despite its venerable history, electrochemical technology is still immature. Electrochemistry must manipulate materials and chemical reactions on the nanoscale, yet its products are manufactured by the ton. A battery is a complex device with multiple components that is more complex than an integrated circuit, but has to be produced on scales vastly larger than a silicon fab. The fundamental components of a battery – anode, cathode, electrolyte, control system – can be chosen from a vast palette of chemistries, but the complicated interplay that makes a functioning device will emerge only after the pieces are joined together at a point very distant from the fundamental invention. 

To accelerate the transition to an electrically powered sustainable economy will require mission-driven, multi-disciplinary research at scale, which is focussed on very specific major challenges, and in seamlessly translating breakthroughs into innovation and commercialisation.

Speakers

Professor Peter Littlewood FRS, Argonne National Laboratory, USA

Professor Peter Littlewood FRS, Argonne National Laboratory, USA

Biography

Peter B Littlewood is Associate Laboratory Director for Physical Sciences and Engineering at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. He also holds an appointment as Professor of Physics in the James Franck Institute at the University of Chicago.

He came to Argonne from Cambridge University, United Kingdom, where he was Head of the Cavendish Laboratory and the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge. He previously headed the Theory of Condensed Matter group at the Cavendish Laboratory. During a 2003-2004 sabbatical leave, he was Matthias Scholar at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Prior to joining Cambridge, he worked at Bell Laboratories from 1980 through 1997, finishing his time there as head of Theoretical Physics Research.

His research activities include the dynamics of collective transport (charge-density wave, Wigner crystal, vortex lattice); phenomenology and microscopic theory of high-temperature superconductors, transition metal oxides, and other correlated electronic systems; and optical properties of highly excited semiconductors. He also has interests in theoretical engineering, including holographic storage, optical fibers and devices, and materials for energy applications.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences (Physics) and a Ph.D. in Physics, both from the University of Cambridge. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of London, the Institute of Physics, TWAS, and the American Physical Society.

 

Symbiotic systems for renewable energy generation and storage

Abstract

By collocating machines and support systems, system inputs and outputs can be shared with the potential to reduce overall system cost thereby helping to enable adoption of environmentally friendly systems.  In particular, the oceans represent a vast resource (and challenge) for humanity:  Offshore wind turbines can harvest wind energy, and their base structures can also serve as platforms for aquaculture systems, systems to harvest scarce minerals from seawater, and wave energy systems.  Excess power from solar PV and wind turbines can feed pumped storage hydropower systems collocated with reverse osmosis plants located near the ocean to provide all the power and fresh water for many coastal regions such as Eilat/Aqaba, eastern UAE, European coastlines, Lima, Los Angeles, Morocco, and northern Iran (including Tehran) for example.  And last but not least, automobiles represent a vast distributed energy storage network that could work in concert with the above and as such provide further motivation to move to an all electric fleet.

Speakers

Professor Alexander Slocum, Pappalardo Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Professor Alexander Slocum, Pappalardo Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Alexander Slocum is the Walter M. May and A. Hazel May Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, a MacVicar Faculty Teaching Fellow, a Fellow of the ASME, and a member of the NAE.   He has 100+ patents and has helped develop 12 products that have received R&D 100 awards for “one of the one hundred best new technical products of the year”.  He has helped start several successful companies and has a passion for working with industry to solve real problems and identify fundamental research topics.

Alex was the Massachusetts Professor of the Year in 2000 and is the recipient of the Society of Manufacturing Engineer’s Frederick W. Taylor Research Medal, and the ASME Leonardo daVinci, Machine Design, and Thar Energy Awards.  His current interests focus on the development of precision machines from medical devices and instruments to energy harvesting and storage machines.  Recently he served on the DoE Science Team working on the Gulf Oil Spill, and has served in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President as the Assistant Director for Advanced Manufacturing.  Since high school days, Alex has had a passion for furniture making and carpentry.  Alex also loves sports from SCUBA to snowboarding to marathons and iron-distance triathlons.

Chemical energy storage

Abstract

We will begin by defining what chemical energy storage is and how does it differs from other forms of energy storage.  We will look at the thermodynamics of chemical energy storage, including chemical heat pumps, and the selection of suitable chemical processes for a range of applications.  The concept of exergy will be introduced and the importance of thermodynamic reversibility discussed.  We will look at overall chemical energy storage processes and show how it is important to look at material and energy balances in order to gain insight.  We will study the example of methanol production from combustion flue gas as a case study.  The importance of handling, distribution and energy densities of chemical energy storage media will be emphasised.  Optimal strategies for energy integration using tools such as pinch technology will be discussed.

Speakers

Professor Ian Metcalfe, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Newcastle University

Professor Ian Metcalfe, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Newcastle University

Ian Metcalfe obtained his first degree in chemical engineering from Imperial College where he was awarded the Hinchley Medal. He then performed his graduate study at Princeton University obtaining his MA in 1984 and his PhD in 1987. He returned to the UK to take up a position as a Lecturer and later Senior Lecturer at Imperial College. In 1997 he was appointed to the Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Edinburgh and in 2001 he became Professor of Chemical Engineering at UMIST. In 2005 he moved to Newcastle University as the Professor of Chemical Engineering.

Ian is a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2012. He has held both an Esso Centenary Education Award (1989) and an ICI Fellowship (1993). Whilst at Imperial College he received the Imperial College Award for Excellence in Teaching (1996).  He currently holds a European Research Council Advanced Grant and acts as director of the virtual UK membrane centre (EPSRC – SynFabFun). He has authored a text book on chemical reaction engineering which has sold 10 000 copies and has published more than 130 refereed research articles. He has supervised 50 PhD students.

His research is in the area of the thermodynamics of chemical conversion with an emphasis on energy processes.  He has a particular interest in membrane processes and solid-gas chemical looping cycles.

Thermal energy storage technologies in a sustainable UK energy future

Abstract

The empirical evidence from recent trends and decisions in the UK suggests that renewables, and (possibly) nuclear, will play an important role in delivering the national vision for a sustainable, decarbonised and secure energy system. The transition towards such a system will be associated with increased levels of generation intermittency and can benefit from increased generation flexibility and demand response. In both cases, this can be enabled by a higher penetration of energy storage technologies. Thermal energy storage can be used to store both heat (directly) and electricity (by including conversion processes), and can be employed across scales and in both distributed and centralised applications. Following an overview of thermal-energy storage options, this talk will delve briefly into interesting details of their implementation in a selection of diverse applications, ranging from small-scale distributed thermal-energy storage in homes, buildings and district heating/cooling networks, to large-scale renewable-electricity storage as well as thermal-energy storage as a means of increasing the flexibility of power stations. Arising opportunities and challenges will be highlighted.

Speakers

Dr Christos Markides, Reader in Clean Energy Processes, Imperial College London

Dr Christos Markides, Reader in Clean Energy Processes, Imperial College London

Dr Christos Markides is a Reader at the Department of Chemical Engineering of Imperial College London, where he heads the Clean Energy Processes (CEP) Laboratory, and leads the Energy and Environmental Engineering research theme and the multidisciplinary cross-faculty Imperial Energy Efficiency network. He has a BA, MEng, MA and PhD from the University of Cambridge, and also has technology transfer and start-up experience as co-founder and Technical Director of spin-out Thermofluidics. He specialises in applied thermodynamics, fluid flow and heat/mass transfer as applied to devices, technologies and systems for thermal-energy recovery, utilization, conversion, and storage. He is an Editor of Elsevier journals ‘Applied Thermal Engineering’, ‘Energy’ and ‘Renewable Energy’, EPFL journal ‘Frontiers in Energy Research’ and Begell House journal ‘Multiphase Science and Technology’. He is also a Member of the Scientific Panel of the ASME ORC Power Systems Committee, the Scientific Panel of the Knowledge Centre – Organic Rankine Cycle (KCORC), the Scientific Committee of the UK Energy Storage SUPERGEN Hub, and the UK National Heat Transfer Committee.

13:20-14:20
Lunch and networking
14:20-15:40
The development and deployment of energy storage
4 talks
Lab to market

Speakers

Dr Jeffrey Chamberlain, CEO, Volta Energy Technologies

Dr Jeffrey Chamberlain, CEO, Volta Energy Technologies

Energy policy research

Abstract

Accelerating the development and deployment of energy technologies is a pressing challenge from environmental, economic and security perspectives.  Technologies that facilitate reliable and affordable stationary and mobile energy storage have been identified as important components of our future energy system. This talk will first outline the crucial role of public policy fostering innovation in energy technologies, and in particular in energy storage. It will then present research on the role of public funding for R&D energy storage has as part of a portfolio of funding for energy technologies. Finally, the talk will describe what we know about the effectiveness of various types of national-level energy R&D policies involving the private sector. While much of the international academic and policy conversation on energy innovation in the wake of the 2015 COP-21 Paris Agreement has focused on the size of public investments in energy, this talk will conclude with thoughts about ‘how.’

Speakers

Professor Laura Diaz Anadon, Professor of Climate Change Policy, University of Cambridge

Professor Laura Diaz Anadon, Professor of Climate Change Policy, University of Cambridge

Professor Laura Diaz Anadon is Professor of Climate Change Policy at the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge. She is also a Bye-Fellow at Peterhouse and an Associate at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). Prof. Anadon was previously Assistant Professor of Public Policy at HKS.  She has engaged with policy makers in many countries, and contributed to the work of many international organisations (i.e., UN, IEA, UNFCCC, World Bank, OECD).  Prof. Anadon did her PhD in chemical engineering at Cambridge, and has industrial research and financial consulting work experience.  Her work includes over 40 journal articles (e.g., Nature Energy, PNAS, Nature Climate Change, Environmental Science & Technology, Risk Analysis, Environmental Research Letters, Research Policy, and Energy Economics) and an edited Cambridge University Press book. She has given many plenary lectures and serves in several editorial boards and advisory committees.

Battery storage in the GB power market

Speakers

Dr Ben Irons, Executive Director, Aurora Energy Research

Dr Ben Irons, Executive Director, Aurora Energy Research

Ben is an Executive Director at Aurora Energy Research where he leads the Commissioned Projects team. His primary focus is on UK power where he advises utilities, developers, financiers and government agencies on topics from strategy to valuation. Ben also leads Aurora’s research into battery storage, peaking plants and demand side response. He has built a market-leading expert team who have acted as market advisers on numerous recent high profile transactions on both buy and sell side, debt and equity, involving thermal, renewable and flexible technologies.

Prior to joining Aurora Ben spent 6 years at McKinsey and Company in London consulting on energy and sustainability, followed by 3 years at Centrica Energy as Director of Strategy where he played an active part in investment planning and management of energy assets including thermal and renewable generation, oil, gas and LNG.

Ben earned a first class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering in New Zealand, followed by an MPhil and DPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford.

Energy markets regulation

Speakers

Chris Brown, Head of Core and Emerging Policy, Energy Systems, Ofgem

Chris Brown, Head of Core and Emerging Policy, Energy Systems, Ofgem

Chris leads Ofgem’s work on core and emerging policy, dealing with the state of current market arrangements and any potential barriers to new emerging technologies and business models. This includes the key areas of electric vehicles, energy storage and local energy.

Prior to this role, he was head of gas systems at Ofgem leading on gas transmission and distribution policy and representing Ofgem at ACER (Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators) and CEER (Council of European Energy Regulators) on gas issues including interconnectors and storage.

Before joining Ofgem in 2016, Chris worked at the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) where he worked in market performance, assessing the role and efficiency of the gas and electricity markets in Australia. He also supervised joint research projects into the potential impact of the developing solar / battery residential market and option value of retiring generation plant.

Prior to AEMO, Chris worked in consulting for over 10 years, on a range of projects in the government, energy, transport and telecoms sectors. Chris has qualifications in mathematics, engineering and economics, and is a Chartered Engineer.

15:40-16:20
Panel discussion
16:20-16:30
Closing remarks

Speakers

Professor Peter Bruce FRS

Wolfson Chair in Materials, University of Oxford, and Physical Secretary and Vice-President, The Royal Society

Professor Peter Bruce FRS

Wolfson Chair in Materials, University of Oxford, and Physical Secretary and Vice-President, The Royal Society

Peter Bruce is Wolfson Professor of Materials at the University of Oxford. His research interests embrace materials chemistry and electrochemistry, with a particular emphasis on energy storage. Recent efforts have focused on the synthesis and understanding of new cathode materials for lithium and sodium ion batteries, understanding processes in all solid-state batteries and the challenges of the lithium-air battery. His pioneering work has provided many advances.

Peter has received numerous awards, including the Tilden Prize of the RSC, the Carl Wagner Award of the ECS, the Liversidge Award of the RSC and the Hughes Medal of the RS. He has also been recognised as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics each year since 2015.

Peter is a founder and Chief Scientist of the Faraday Institution, the UK centre for research on electrochemical energy storage. Peter took up the position of Physical Secretary and Vice President of the Royal Society in 2018.

16:30-17:30
Drinks reception and networking

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