As part of the UK’s plans to meet net zero targets, there are plans in place to remove fossil fuel usage from domestic vehicles and to transition towards a national grid that is entirely powered by renewable fuels with no carbon emissions.
These strategies and investment have largely focused on battery power for small vehicles and on generating sufficient renewable energy for the grid. However, battery power is not feasible for larger road vehicles, non-road mobile machinery such as agricultural vehicles and marine vessels; and the energy grid needs to be modernised to cope with the change of energy source to renewable as well as changing electricity usage needs such as electric vehicle charging.
Xinyan Wang will demonstrate how hydrogen combustion engines are a suitable zero carbon alternative for those vehicles where battery power is not suitable, but that a clearer regulatory framework and government investment is needed for this to be scaled up to market in line with net zero target timeframes.
Ioana Pisica will explore the key strategies for modernizing power networks to enhance efficiency and integrate renewable energy sources. She will discuss how power grids must evolve to support emerging technologies like energy storage, electric vehicle charging, heat pumps, and hydrogen systems. Additionally, the presentation will examine the critical balance between policy and technology for transmission and distribution system operators, addressing the challenges and opportunities that arise at this intersection.
Speaker profiles:
Professor Xinyan Wang is currently a Research Professor at the Centre of Advanced Powertrain and Fuels, Brunel University of London, UK. He was awarded the prestigious UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship Programme in 2020. His research interests include advanced combustion concepts and novel engines with low carbon and zero carbon fuels. He has received over 4 million pounds of research funding and published over 60 papers in international journals and conferences.
Dr loana Pisica is a Reader in Energy and Power Engineering, specializing in smart grid technologies, renewable energy integration, and the digitalisation of power systems. Her research focuses on enhancing the efficiency and resilience of modern power networks with innovative grid solutions. Dr Pisica is actively engaged in both academic and industry collaborations, aiming to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and practical implementation in the energy sector.
Series Convener:
Rosanna Smith is Manager of Brunel Public Policy. She is responsible for supporting the Brunel research community to engage with policy making processes. This includes identifying areas where Brunel research could contribute to policy making processes, supporting Brunel researchers in articulating their research for policy audiences, and identifying and creating channels for communication between researchers and policy makers, such as this event series.
Register:
This event is the 1st of Brunel Public Policy’s 2024-25 Autumn/ Winter event series on In this event series, we explore the latest research from Brunel that highlights the benefits and challenges of regulation, policy and government investment keeping up with the latest research, knowledge and science.