ISSN 2753-7757 (Online)

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Nuclear

Artist's impressio, with cutaway, of STEP (the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) – the UK’s first prototype fusion energy plant

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10/8/2022 Feature / Brian Davis

The nuclear fusion race – one small step nearer?

Scientists at the STFC Hartree Centre and the UKAEA are using supercomputing and artificial intelligence to design technologies such as digital twins to help make fusion energy a commercial reality, within decades hopefully, reports Brian Davis.

Power generation

View of lots of offshore wind turbines in calm blue sea set against blue sky

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29/1/2025 Feature / Katie Hore

How a new generation of power electronics will sit at the heart of the energy transition

Power grids and electrical consumer needs are changing radically. Dr Katie Hore, Innovation Director at power electronics R&D consortium REWIRE, explains how UK researchers are developing a new generation of semiconductors that will be key to boosting device performance in the energy transition, with higher voltages and improved energy efficiency.

Electrification

Graph with lines and columns

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18/6/2025 Feature / Jonathan Radcliffe

Research update on… electrification

As the UK progresses towards its net zero targets, electrification is emerging as a vital pathway for industrial decarbonisation. The findings from IDRIC’s electrification projects highlight clear opportunities for decarbonising industrial processes but also expose critical gaps that must be addressed to enable widespread implementation, writes Jonathan Radcliffe, Professor of Energy Systems, University of Birmingham. Below is an edited and abridged synthesis of UK research on these topics commissioned by the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) over the last few years.

Solar

Row upon row of solar panels on grass field extending into the distance

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2/4/2025 Feature / Claire Cortis

Shining a light on solar capacity factors

By 2029 solar PV is on course to be the largest source of renewable generation worldwide. But that does not mean all solar panels are as effective in generating power as others. Claire Cortis, Digital Knowledge and Information Manager at the Energy Institute, compares solar capacity factors of the top 20 solar PV generating countries and looks at the technologies being developed that could improve them.

Research and development

Lab technician in paper coveralls and global operating lab equipment under yellow lighting

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5/7/2023 Feature / Brian Davis

A taste of future energy technology and transition systems

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) is a hotbed of energy technology research and development. New Energy World Features Editor Brian Davis gives a taste of what’s on offer at one of Europe’s largest energy research centres.

Floating offshore wind

Man in orange high viz clothing and white hard hat standing next to large blue metal rectangular box filled with sand and surrounded by pipework and equipment

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3/7/2024 Feature

Floating offshore wind research focuses on improving technology and safety

Faced with a dynamic motion environment, floating offshore wind turbines experience technical and operational challenges that differ significantly from static offshore oil and gas structures. To improve our understanding of these issues, research and testing has begun at a new Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult research centre in Aberdeen. Meanwhile, Energy Institute partner G+, in collaboration with leading international operators and OEMs, is developing guides and standards to help make floating offshore wind safer. New Energy World Features Editor Brian Davis reports.

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