Sustainable Energy Geoscience

The world’s energy system is largely driven by coal, oil, and gas. However, the transition to a low-carbon future requires moving away from fossil fuels and focusing instead on essentials minerals such as cobalt, lithium, nickel, and copper for use in wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicles.

Geothermal energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen storage are also central components of the UK government’s strategy for reducing greenhouse emissions and reaching net-zero by 2050. This programme draws on the exceptional expertise within the Department of Geology and Geophysics to equip students with the subsurface skills required for the rapidly evolving energy transition sector.

Our understanding of subsurface workflows and resources is critical to many of the new clean energy technologies associated with the energy transition, such as geothermal energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and the growing demand for critical minerals needed to produce clean technologies such as wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles.

Aberdeen boasts a significant advantage in C02 storage technology due to the technical and commercial offshore energy skills built up over the last 50 years, the existing energy infrastructure and the unique geology of the North Sea basin. CCS alone has been recognised as a critical technology by the UK government in helping carbon-intensive industries meet their net zero goals and is central to the UK government’s Net Zero Strategy.

At the heart of this programme is a focus on developing a strong technical understanding of rocks and fluids in the subsurface, and how to model, monitor and verify their presence using geophysical, petrophysical and other techniques. This knowledge is then applied to a wide range of low carbon energy solutions including sustainable mineral extraction, geothermal flow and subsurface storage.

We place a strong focus on geoscience interpretation and the high-demand skills needed for both present-day and future energy extraction and storage scenarios. In addition, you will examine the societal implications of the energy transition, including social justice, global dynamics and sustainability goals.

This MSc draws on much of the ground-breaking research being conducted within the Centre for Energy Transition (CET), in areas such as geothermal energy, carbon capture and storage, nuclear waste storage and critical materials for the energy transition.