Clean Fossil FuelsThe College recognise that fossil fuel use will continue to be significant for some time but must transform through the carbon capture technologies and carbon storage technologies for which Imperial is a leading research centre with significant industrial funding.

Energy Futures Lab works with a wide range of research groups at the College who are working on numerous projects in the area.

The institute's work is supported by our Clean Fossil Fuels Research Theme Lead and Champions.

These are a selection of the projects being done under the Low Carbon Cities and Transport theme at the College.


Qatar Carbonate and Carbon Storage Research Centre

Led Professor Martin Blunt, the Qatar Carbonate and Carbon Storage Research Centre (QCCSRC) is a cross-departmental research project with members in the departments of Chemical Engineering and Earth Science and Engineering.

The team’s expertise is in a number of different areas, including geological field studies, experimental laboratory studies to validate modelling and simulations at molecular to pore to field scales. QCCSRC’s objective is to advance the understanding of carbonate reservoirs, addressing challenges that include CCS, enhanced oil recovery and producing clean fossil fuels.


Digital Rocks

Led by Professor Geoffrey Maitland, the Imperial-Shell Digital Rocks Programme is a cross-department collaboration.

It aims to revolutionise the way reservoirs are characterised and how oil and gas recovery processes are designed. This is being done using a range expertise, experience and reseach focused on rock-fluid imaging techniques linked to modelling at multiple length scales. The  work is primarily funded by Shell through a five year programme.


Resilient and Sustainable Biorenewable Systems Engineering Model

Led by Dr Miao Guo, the Resilient and Sustainable Biorenewable Systems group is based in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Their work focuses on the user-oriented problem-solving and long-term engineering solutions in the biorenewable sectors, including bioenergy, biofuel, biochemical and bioplastics.

The team’s research activities cover areas such as biorenewable systems engineering model, Bioenergy value chains, resource recovery from wastewater, Sustainable and resource-efficient urban energy system and Life cycle sustainability evaluation of biorenewables processes and supply chains.


Sustainable Gas Institute

Led by Dr Adam Hawkes, the Sustainable Gas Institute is a unique academic-industry partnership, and a ground-breaking collaboration between the United Kingdom and Brazil. The team provides thought leadership and drive research into the technology that could underpin a role for natural gas in the global energy landscape.

The group publishes a series of White Papers to provide globally impactful policy facing analysis, bringing clarity to contentious topics in the energy sector. They are also creating the MUSE energy systems model a novel method that takes a whole systems approach to simulate energy transitions towards a low carbon world.


Techno-Economic Assessment of Biomass Pre-processing

The Techno-Economic Assessment of Biomass Pre-processing project is an academic and industry collaboration studying biomass in a UK context.

The team are working on reviewing the economic and performance benefits, and associated trade-offs, of pre-processing bioenergy fuels. This will include preparations such as drying, blending, chipping and pelleting, alongside many others, on various fuel sources. The work will give policy makers and investors the information they need to determine the viability of bioenergy in the UK from a societal and economic point of view.

The team Imperial team members are from the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Centre for Environment Policy. The project was funded by the ETI and includes E4Tech, CMCL Innovations, PSE, and Black and Veatch as partners.


The Shell-Imperial College Grand Challenge on Clean Fossil Fuels

The Shell-Imperial College Grand Challenge on Clean Fossil Fuels was a collaboration between Shell and a number of departments at Imperial College London. It ran for five years, from 1 February 2007 to 31 January 2012, with Shell providing £3M of funding over this period. It was led by Professors Geoff Maitland and Martin Blunt and managed by Steering Committee comprising of Dr Claus Otto (Shell), Dr Rick Wentinck (Shell), Professor Geoffrey Maitland and Professor Nigel Brandon (then Director of Energy Futures Lab).