Course summary

Sustainable energy is a rapidly developing area of research and technological innovation in the UK. Geothermal energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS), in particular, are 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 storage and the growing demand for critical minerals needed to produce clean technologies such as wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles. 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.