Green, foliated fault rock (core LCW03) from Coire Glas in the Scottish Highlands (BGS © UKRI 2026).
As I write, the US and Iran remain at loggerheads. A fragile ceasefire is in place, yet both nations are attempting to blockade the Strait of Hormuz through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural liquefied gas flows. The International Energy Agency has warned of the biggest global energy crisis in history—worse than the 1973, 1979 and 2022 crises combined. Whilst not as severe as the impact on developing nations, this energy shock will be hard felt here in the UK. Although we have diversified our energy supplies, we remain heavily reliant on imported gas and are susceptible to volatile fossil fuel markets.
One outcome of the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz is that it is helping to expand the narrative on domestically generated energy and renewables, in particular. Renewable energy is not only a critical part of our climate policy but also a strategic national security asset that can help shield industry and households from future geopolitical shocks.
As highlighted in this edition, the UK has a variety of exciting renewable energy projects in the mix. Already a global leader in offshore wind, the UK aims to generate 50 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030, including 5 GW from floating wind technology. Powered by burgeoning open access to essential data (p. 50), numerous collaborations within and between industry, academic and research institutions, and government are working to meet this ambitious target.
Renewable energy is a strategic national security asset
In a UK first, the United Downs deep geothermal power plant was switched on in February after nearly two decades in development. The plant, which harnesses heat from more than 5 km depth in Cornwall’s granitic crust, will provide a stable baseload of electricity sufficient to power 10,000 homes (p. 8).
And, if given the go ahead, the Coire Glas project in Scotland’s Great Glen will be the first large-scale pumped storage hydroelectric scheme developed in the UK in over 40 years and would more than double our existing electricity storage capacity, helping to balance intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar. Major exploratory works (on which our incoming President Jessica Smith served as Technical Authority for Engineering Geology; p. 18), including a ~1.2-km-long tunnel and extensive drilling, boreholes and testing, have now been carried out. While also providing a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to study the UK’s largest fault structure (p. 30), these core and data are essential to de-risk the site.
If nothing else, the ensuing global energy crisis underscores just how critical applied geoscientists are for our energy security. As colleagues from the Engineering Group of the Geological Society argue on page 46, “a strong talent pipeline should be a strategic national priority”.
Dr Amy Whitchurch
Executive Editor
