Course summary

Energy transitions require technical, economic and social solutions to the complex challenges of decarbonization. This new programme gives an overview of the diverse challenges, including technical and non-technical (e.g. economic, policy) aspects. Students are introduced to systems thinking in the context of energy systems and learn relevant methods for system-level analysis (e.g. GIS, energy system analysis). Since the 1970s, there has been increased attention to more sustainable energy systems. In more recent decades, the transition towards these systems has gathered momentum, aided by new technological innovations in areas such as wind and tidal energy, energy storage, carbon capture and storage, biofuels and hydrogen. Despite the substantial progress around the world, the energy transition poses significant technological, commercial and political challenges for businesses and governments. Energy transition engineers are faced with the challenge of redesigning our entire energy infrastructure while ensuring continued access to reliable and affordable energy. To achieve this, we must understand how to successfully integrate Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs) into our current and future energy systems. This requires a variety of measures on different levels (technical, economic, policy), some of which compete with one another. This programme addresses this challenge by combining a detailed overview of the techno-economic aspects of individual LCTs with an understanding of energy systems and energy systems integration. You will also learn about non-technical aspects of the energy transition, such as the various economic and policy developments, without which many technologies would not develop beyond the laboratory. Students are also introduced to systems thinking, which is critical to successful energy transition due to the complex and interconnected nature of energy systems. Based in the School of Engineering, this MSc draws on much of the ground-breaking research being conducted within the Centre for Energy Transition (CET), along with expert contributions from the School of Geosciences, the School of Business and the School of Law. This programme is aimed at students with a background in engineering or similar quantitative subjects. It will educate to MSc level a new generation of systems engineers, with future career possibilities in all areas of the energy sector.