Industry has identified the following research areas of strategic importance in Northern Ireland:
Bio-Energy
Bio-energy is a key component in the EU long-term strategy in all sectors, especially transport with a target contribution of up to 14% of the EU energy mix and up to 10% use in transport by 2020.
- Solid biomass to energy from thermal combustion
- Anaerobic digestion and,
- Biogas upgrade and energy conversion.
Energy Systems
The challenge of connecting renewable energy solutions to a grid that does not currently have the capacity remains a real issue in Northern Ireland. The Energy Systems research cluster will undertake research to overcome the challenges of renewables integration and security of supply in the fields of:
- Localised or community energy systems
- Demand side management
- Energy storage (all scales)
- Smart Grid solutions
Marine Renewable Energy
The turbine sector is diverse and covers:
- Onshore wind
- Offshore wind
- Wave
- Tidal
- Gas
The cluster covers the full lifecycle of turbine development, not just the device with a particular emphasis on marine renewable energy.