Centre for Energy supports RAF in pathway to Net Zero
Dr Libby Gibson – the Centre’s Co-Director – is part of the Newcastle University team supporting the RAF pathway to Net Zero.
21 November 2021
Newcastle University will collaborate with the RAF to establish a ViTAL Living Lab to support its roadmap to Net Zero 2040.
The Ministry of Defence contributes around 50% of all government carbon emissions so the RAF has a significant challenge ahead if it is to decarbonise by its own tougher target of 2040. The ViTAL Living Lab will conduct and assess experiments to quantify RAF efforts to Net Zero.
The Living Lab is initiating six experiments to explore cutting-edge solar technology, carbon sequestration techniques and also the potential for geothermal, hydrogen and electric as energy sources for the RAF Leeming base.
We are delighted to announce that our Co-Director of the Centre for Energy Research, Dr Libby Gibson is leading the Living Lab solar experiment.
“Not all applications and building structures are suitable for conventional silicon technology and like many mixed-use developments, RAF Leeming has a range of different types of buildings of various ages and construction materials and shapes. Hangar roof for example, would not be able to take the weight of conventional silicon panels. Therefore, the RAF is well positioned to offer an ideal test bed and benefit significantly from the development of thin film PV technologies.”
Dr Libby Gibson
As part the Solar experiment, Libby and team will test and develop PV technologies that are light-weight and or work in direct and diffuse sunlight conditions including exploring indoor solar power generation.
The Living Lab will establish a carbon baseline and life cycle assessments so that changes made to the estates and infrastructure are understood in a sustainability context and harness the full power of rapid research and technology in the field.
RAF Group Captain Blythe Crawford, said: “Project ViTAL provides a terrific opportunity for the MoD to leapfrog to the front of the field in terms of addressing our sustainability and carbon Net Zero emission challenges.”
“Traditionally we have addressed such issues through off-the-shelf solutions, but through collaborating with academia and start-ups, it allows us to get involved at the conceptual stage, leveraging the tremendous research talent the UK provides to work collectively to bring the capability to maturity. This ‘user-centric’ approach will allow us to deliver direct impact to the source of our sustainability challenges rather than trying to fudge a commercial solution to fit, and will ultimately feed our ‘UK Prosperity’ and ‘Global Britain’ agendas, through the development of world-leading, cutting edge capability.”
To find out more about Project ViTAL and how Newcastle University research is aiding this, click here.
For more information about other projects that will facilitate a Net Zero RAF by 2040, see their website.