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Sustainability and decarbonisation are key focuses in engineering, with the UK Government aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. Engineers play a crucial role in developing and implementing solutions across various sectors like energy, construction, and transport. This involves accelerating the deployment of green energy technologies, increasing energy efficiency, and exploring innovative solutions like carbon capture and storage. Join the IMechE Focus: Sustainability and Decarbonisation webinar series which will explore cutting-edge strategies for reducing emissions, driving sustainable innovation, ensuring energy security, and meeting the net-zero challenge in engineering.
Learn from case-studies of large-scale offshore wind projects, enabling a more diverse energy mix
Understand how cost-effective industrial decarbonisation can be achieved through clusters, sector coupling, cutting-edge tech solutions, such as CCS and hydrogen, and the integration of renewable sources into the power grid
The Inch Cape Offshore Wind Project has undergone a number of iterations since its inception in 2008. The project achieved financial close in early 2025 and is preparing for an offshore installation campaign starting this year, through to full commercial operation in 2027. This presentation seeks to outline how the safety of personnel and the realities of installing some of the largest components the industry has produced have driven a range of innovations and design decisions that aided in the achievement of financial close. After a short history of the Inch Cape project, we will discuss the rationale behind a number of technical decisions the project has made, and highlight innovations intended to overcome challenges encountered. These are challenges that we expect to only increase in severity as the industry moves toward ever larger assets.
Details 12.00 - 13.00 BST Monday, 8 September 2025
Speakers Stephen Kelly, Inch Cape Offshore Wind James Robinson, Inch Cape Offshore Wind Sue Vincent, Inch Cape Offshore Wind
Moderator To be confirmed
In this webinar, ULEMCo's Commercial Manager Jordon Cullen will share the critical considerations for engineering these solutions to meet the specific performance requirements for hydrogen fuel-based applications, rather than using conventional assumptions. By understanding real-use energy needs, using data logging and energy model-based assessments, there is an opportunity for optimisation on efficiency, on-board storage needs and solutions to the packaging challenges of repowering and engineering solutions with compressed gas energy density. The development and embodiment of this “horses for courses” approach lead to a better understanding of customer needs, and therefore result in more cost-effective, better-matched powertrains to meet the decarbonisation requirements of Net Zero than standard, one-size-fits-all approaches of the past. In the webinar, these principles will be illustrated by sharing case studies of the company’s range of commercially available and R&D prototypes products from upgrading and upcycling, which, in addition to the zero-carbon fuel savings, give extended life or the functionality of otherwise useful assets. Making the transition to cleaner energy achievable today.
Details 12.00 - 13.00 BST Tuesday, 9 June 2025
Speakers Paul Jones, Chief Executive, Northern Automotive Alliance Jordon Cullen, Commercial Manager, ULEMCo Ltd
Sustainability is increasingly shaping the strategic and operational frameworks within the defence sector. BAE Systems is a responsible business that operates ethically, safely, securely and in line with our sustainability agenda. We’re playing our part in contributing to a more secure and resilient world through developing some of the world’s most advanced defence, aerospace and security solutions that keep citizens, countries and critical infrastructure safe.
This webinar will explore the impact of sustainable practices on defence strategies, outline current approaches to sustainability, and present case studies on decarbonising operations and product development.
Details 10.00 - 11.00 BST Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Speakers Deborah Allen, Director - Environment, Climate & Infrastructure, BAE Systems Cathy Davis, Technology & Innovation Sustainability Director, BAE Systems
Aircraft currently rely on fossil-fuelled combustion engines to provide thrust. As a result, air transport contributes ~2.5% of the total global CO2 emissions from all sources. This contribution is projected to rise each year due to increased demands for commercial air transport, driven by global economic growth and population trends. Hence the need for engineering innovation to reduce carbon emissions and help protect the planet.
Over the next 25 years the aviation sector will witness a diversification of fuels and propulsion systems tailored to different types of aircraft on the basis of capacity and range. The adoption of these technologies will depend on the pace of their development along with the availability and cost of the required fuels.
Many new challenges will be faced during the design, development, production and operation of these new designs of aircraft and their propulsion systems. Extensive analysis and testing will be needed to support rigorous certification processes to maintain the safety of commercial air transport.
Details 15.00 - 16.00 BST Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Speakers Dr Ken Hart, Visiting Fellow - Aerospace Engineering, University of Hertfordshire Dan Carnelly, Executive Vice President and Permanent Representative to ICAO, ICCAIA
The hydrogen economy is unlike almost any other, presenting a unique set of challenges to skills development. It is evident there is significant market failure, meaning that if the development of hydrogen skills is left to market forces, critical training will not be available when and where it is most needed.
This webinar will outline some of the challenges faced in developing hydrogen skills, and introduce the work the Hydrogen Skills Alliance and others are doing to accelerate the progress of hydrogen skills development, and support high quality, collaborative efforts to develop the skills needed for the hydrogen industry.
Details 12.00 - 13.00 BST Thursday, 11 September 2025
Speakers George Jenkins, Advanced Technology Project Lead, National Composites Centre Maria Felice, Industrial Liaison Manager, High Value Manufacturing Catapult
High energy-intensive industry adds around £150 billion to the UK economy (GVA) and secures around 1.5 million jobs generating around £320 billion in goods and services exports. Industrial emissions, with their hard-to-abate, energy-intensive processes, present a particular challenge in meeting Net-Zero 2040 targets. Cost-effective industrial decarbonisation can be achieved through clusters, sector coupling, cutting-edge tech solutions, such as CCS and hydrogen, and the integration of renewable sources into the power grid. With a panel of cross-industry panellists, the webinar will address:
Details 12.00 - 13.00 BST Friday, 12 September 2025
Speakers Shengke Zhi, Director, AtkinsRéalis Niku Nobakhti, Project Manager, Costain Group Bryony Livesey, Challenge Director - Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge, UK Research and Innovation Simon Rees, Director of Nuclear - EMEAA, Element Materials Technology Michael Foley, EU and UK Low Carbon Solutions Executive, ExxonMobil