Arup celebrates one-year anniversary as UKRI Technical Advisor for geo-energy research and innovation

The £9 million framework – led by Arup, in partnership with AECOM, Inosys, Copper Consulting, Decarbonisation Consultants, Geothermal Engineering Limited, and TRACS – will support the energy transition through geological solutions such as deep CO₂ storage, hydrogen storage, geothermal energy, and geothermal storage.

The flagship project underpinning the framework is the scoping of a Carbon Storage Research Facility (CSRF) with the British Geological Survey. A globally unique research infrastructure is being designed that would explore the fundamental knowledge gaps needed to safely and effectively store carbon dioxide deep underground.

Arup and its partners are also providing program management support to the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure (FDRI) – a major new capital investment by the UKRI that will enable essential science and innovation to improve the UK's resilience to hydrological extremes. Alongside this, Arup has delivered first-of-a-kind carbon advisory services to enable UKRI to understand the carbon emissions of research proposals and ultimately reduce the carbon footprint of the UK's major research endeavours.

Arup is further strengthening its partnership with UKRI and collaborators to investigate alternative research facilities that will help bolster the energy transition. This includes actively pursuing opportunities to create pilot facilities for fundamental research in underground hydrogen storage and deep geothermal exploration – both crucial in unlocking the UK’s net-zero targets.