“Geoscience is vital for meeting Paris Agreement obligations”
John Underhill discusses the criticality of geoscience for low-carbon sustainable solutions
Aerial view of a close up wind turbine on the ocean
It’s a really exciting time for the geosciences. Earth science has been instrumental in documenting climate change and is pivotal in finding solutions that address it. Put simply, it is no longer about diagnosis, but mitigation and cure. Geoscience is vital for meeting the obligations embedded in the Paris Agreement.”
John Underhill, a Professor at Heriot-Watt University, UK, views geoscience and the people who study and practice it as absolutely crucial as we seek to introduce measures that enable us to decarbonise, move towards a low-carbon sustainable future and address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
“I have heard it said ‘the time for geological studies has passed, it is simply an engineering issue and we should just get on and do it’. While engineering is undoubtedly a major part of the solution, the fact that carbon dioxide has quite different physical and chemical properties from long-chained, inert hydrocarbons because it is small, nimble and highly reactive in the presence of water (when it forms carbonic acid) means we cannot simply assume that we can re-use depleted oil-and-gas fields for a new purpose. Frankly, if the wrong geological sites are selected for subsurface storage of carbon dioxide or hydrogen, credibility will be lost and a vital technology will not be deployed at scale.
“The drive for electric cars, wind turbines, solar panels and new technologies will also have major consequences for our science. Such technology demands not only a step change in the amount of electricity needed, but also the mining of metals, critical minerals and essential raw materials like lithium, cobalt, titanium and the rare-earth elements. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the optimal locations are selected that minimise environmental impacts of extraction, do not exploit local communities and are sustainable in the long-term.”
John Underhill (left) believes his students have a key role to play in decarbonisation
Holistic approach
John is particularly interested in the use of subsurface data to identify and critically evaluate safe sites for subsurface storage.
“I am committed to seeing the best and most appropriate use being made of the sea bed and subsurface geology as part of the net-zero agenda, ensuring the adverse environmental impacts are avoided.
“Despite the undoubtedly positive contribution of wind power to decarbonise the electricity system, wind farms have consequences that impact our ambition to do the same for other sectors and technologies. Since most offshore wind farms are fixed to the sea bed, it is much harder to visualise, characterise, monitor and, hence, utilise the subsurface that lies directly below them – an essential requirement if we are to locate and evaluate safe storage sites and monitor the CO2 injection or hydrogen storage needed to decarbonise the UK’s industrial hubs. The occurrence of wind farms will affect our ability to build blue hydrogen capacity because this relies on a spatial association between a producing gas field supplying the methane feedstock, carbon store and hydrogen export route to shore (and storage).
“Holistic, joined-up thinking is needed to ensure the best and most appropriate use is made of the sea bed and subsurface geology. A collective failure to understand the dependencies and impacts that result from blanket wind farm coverage may rule out some or all of the other promising technologies and the UK’s pathway to net zero. A more judicious approach involving all the different regulatory bodies and various stakeholders is urgently required if the UK is to achieve the optimal outcome.”
Global population growth and increasing energy demands mean that oil and gas will remain in the energy mix – as highlighted by the Committee for Climate Change, who see a continued role for oil and gas in 2050 and beyond.
“While it may not be universally accepted that oil and gas should continue to be explored for and produced in the UK, it should be remembered that the basin’s indigenous supplies have a lower carbon footprint compared to the imports that would otherwise be needed to make up the shortfall. The reserves also provide the UK with energy security by reducing our reliance on other countries, and also mean we don’t simply transfer our carbon burden to them.”
Despite the undoubtedly positive contribution of wind power to decarbonise the electricity system, wind farms have consequences that impact our ambition to do the same for other sectors and technologies
Skills shortage
To achieve our net-zero emissions targets requires a pipeline of talented people with the right skills to seek socially acceptable solutions. John believes that the association between geology and the extractive industries is too commonly made and feels it lessens the apparent attraction of Earth science to school children. He suggests we need a sustained effort to make geoscience a more visible, relevant and attractive subject, as well as more accessible to diverse communities.
“Our approach has shifted rapidly as universities seek to address an ongoing recruitment crisis. Many have or are re-designing their BSc and MSc courses; others have rebranded their department names. Likewise, the trends in research and available staff positions are changing to reflect net zero and the need to be relevant.
John Underhill believes we must take an open-minded, data-driven approach to new solutions to meet energy needs
“Courses are populated with new content and there is an increasing awareness of the need to integrate topics like social license, public outreach, media communication and Government policy, as well as novel methods, such as virtual reality to augment fieldtrips through drone and laser technologies and artificial intelligence.”
John is Academic Executive Director of the UK Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), GeoNetZero, a programme that undertakes research and training in geoscience and the low-carbon energy transition. The GeoNetZero CDT initiative seeks to build the next generation of geoscientists – those who will deliver a sustainable future as we undergo the energy transition. This academic-industry partnership is going from strength to strength with 32 PhD students recruited and a further 16 set to join next year. Involving 12 UK universities and with continued support from the Natural Environment Research Council, the CDT was the only entity named in the postgraduate training section of the UK Government’s North Sea Transition Deal, paving the way for further support for the programme.
Optimism and realism
John is hopeful about the UK’s decarbonisation goals and the role geoscience can play in getting us there, but his optimism is allied with a realism.
“I remain concerned that hype, wish fulfilment, confirmation bias and false drivers are in the mix. To determine the best subsurface solutions, reliable geoscientific input is essential. We must take a data-led, evidence-based approach, and articulate our science in a way that can inform opinion and lead to the right choices being made.
“I am also worried about polarised opinions and feel there is a need for a more nuanced view to be appreciated. We must gather, table and analyse the data to find the best and most appropriate solutions, those that ensure low-carbon energy security, aid our pathway towards a decarbonised world and alleviate all forms of poverty (including fuel poverty) for a just and fair transition. To achieve this, we must be open minded, be willing to test our assumptions, identify and eradicate biases, and be willing to ask and tolerate testing questions that challenge long-held dogma and beliefs. It is essential that there is an independent, robust test of the technologies and their potential deployment. To undertake such a forensic analysis takes time and is dependent upon data being collected or made available.
“It may be ironic, but the very same data acquired in the pursuit of fossil fuels (such as seismic, well and core data) provide an excellent foundation for repurposing and evaluating the subsurface for decarbonisation. Fortunately, these data have recently become available through the National Data Repository (NDR). Access and use of these data will extend the life of the mature North Sea basin and its re-emergence as a site where carbon storage, geothermal, wind and hydrogen can provide new low-carbon energy sources, and as a repository to help us decarbonise industrial hubs.
“The re-purposing of UK basins will require skilled geoscientists. While the number of jobs may initially be limited, the need for talent will increase if we are to understand and characterise new decarbonisation opportunities. There is a dual opportunity for experienced individuals to up-skill or re-skill and for young professionals, early career researchers, students and school children to have a sense of optimism that there is a vital role for them in geoscience as we strive to meet net-zero targets.”
John Underhill
Professor John Underhill is a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and Chartered Geologist, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Professor of Geoscience and Energy Transition at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK, as well as the Academic Executive Director of the UK’s GeoNetZero Centre for Doctoral Training J.R.Underhill@hw.ac.uk
Further reading
- Underhill, J. (2019) Revamping doctoral training for a decarbonised future. Geoscientist 29 (8), 10-15; https://doi.org/10.1144/geosci2019-044
- Underhill, J. (2021) Geoscientists for the Energy Transition. GeoExPro 18(2); https://www.geoexpro.com/articles/2021/05/geoscientists-for-the-energy-transition
The full interview with John Underhill appears below
What are you currently working on?
It’s a really exciting time for the geosciences. Earth science has been instrumental in documenting climate change and is pivotal to addressing it. It is no longer about diagnosis but mitigation and cure and the role of geoscience will be a vital component of our ambition to meet net-zero emission targets and to address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
I am committed to seeing the best and most appropriate use being made of the sea bed and subsurface geology as part of the net-zero agenda, ensuring the adverse environmental impacts are avoided.
Much of the research I lead or contribute to addresses the low-carbon energy transition, for example, through the use of subsurface data to identify and critically evaluate safe sites for subsurface storage.
I also dedicate significant time to leading the UK Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), entitled GeoNetZero, in my role as its Academic Executive Director. The GeoNetZero CDT initiative seeks to build the next generation of geoscientists, the generation who will deliver a sustainable future as we undergo the transition to low-carbon energy sources and address the challenge of meeting net-zero emission targets.
As well as my research and training responsibilities, I seek to provide informed advice to Government and policymakers to ensure that the decision-makers realise the importance of geoscience in energy and environmental policy. I currently sit on the Scottish Science Advisory Council—Scotland’s highest-level science advisory body—providing independent advice and recommendations on science strategy, policy and priorities to the Scottish Government.
How important are geoscientists to achieving net zero and the energy transition?
Geoscience is not just important, the science and the people who study and practice it are absolutely crucial as we seek to introduce measures that enable us to decarbonise, move towards a low-carbon sustainable future and meet the obligations embedded in the Paris Agreement.
Using carbon storage as an example of the role that geoscience will play, I have heard it said “the time for geological studies has passed, it is simply an engineering issue and we should just get on and do it”. While engineering is undoubtedly part of the solution, the fact that carbon dioxide has quite different physical and chemical properties from long-chained, inert hydrocarbons because it is small, nimble and highly reactive (especially when in the form of carbonic acid, after reaction with water) means we cannot simply assume that we can re-use depleted oil-and-gas fields for a new purpose. Frankly, if the wrong geological sites are selected for subsurface storage of carbon dioxide or hydrogen, credibility will be lost and a vital technology will not be deployed at scale.
The drive for electric cars, wind turbines, solar panels and new technologies will also have major consequences for our science. Such technology demands not only a step change in the amount of electricity needed, but also the mining of metals, critical mionerals and raw materials like lithium, cobalt, titanium and the rare-earth elements. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the optimal locations are selected that minimize environmental impacts of extraction, do not exploit local communities and are sustainable in the long-term.
Despite the undoubtedly positive contribution of wind power to decarbonise the electricity system, wind farms have consequences that impact our ambition to do the same for other sectors and technologies. Since most offshore wind farms are fixed to the sea bed, it is much harder to visualise, characterise, monitor and hence, utilise the subsurface that lies directly below them—an essential requirement if we are to locate and evaluate safe storage sites and monitor the CO2 injection or hydrogen storage needed to decarbonise the UK’s industrial hubs. The occurrence of wind farms will affect our ability to build blue hydrogen capacity because this relies on a spatial association between a producing gas field supplying the methane feedstock, carbon store and hydrogen export route to shore (and storage)—any one of which might be precluded by a pre-existing wind farm. Holistic, joined-up thinking is needed to ensure the best and most appropriate use is made of the sea bed and subsurface geology. A collective failure to understand the dependencies and impacts that result from blanket wind farm coverage may rule out some or all of the other promising technologies and the UK’s pathway to net zero. A more judicious approach involving all the different regulatory bodies and various stakeholders is urgently required if the UK is to achieve the optimal outcome.
As highlighted by the Committee for Climate Change (CCC), global population growth and increasing energy demands mean that oil and gas will continue to play a role in the energy mix. The CCC envisage oil and particularly natural gas have a continued role in 2050 and beyond. While it may not be universally accepted that oil and gas should continue to be explored for and produced in the UK, it should be remembered that the basin’s indigenous supplies have a lower carbon footprint compared to the imports that would otherwise be needed to make up the shortfall. The reserves also provide the UK with energy security by reducing our reliance on other countries, and also mean we don’t simply transfer our carbon burden to them.
How optimistic do you feel about the UK’s decarbonisation goals and the role geoscience can play in getting us there?
I am optimistic, but that is allied with a realism and I remain concerned that hype, wish fulfilment, confirmation bias and false drivers are in the mix. To determine the best subsurface solutions, reliable geoscientific input is essential. We must take a data-led, evidence-based approach, and articulate our science in a way that can inform opinion and lead to the right choices being made.
I am also worried about polarized opinions and feel there is a need for a more nuanced view to be appreciated. We must gather, table and analyse the data and evidence to find the best and most appropriate solutions, those that ensure low-carbon energy security, aid our pathway towards a decarbonised world and alleviate all forms of poverty (including fuel poverty) for a just and fair transition. To achieve this, we must be open minded, be willing to test our assumptions, identify and eradicate biases, and be willing to ask and tolerate testing questions that challenge long-held dogma and beliefs. It is essential that there is an independent, robust test of the technologies and their potential deployment. To undertake such a forensic analysis takes time and is dependent upon data being collected or made available.
It may be ironic, but the very same data acquired in the pursuit of fossil fuels (such as seismic, well and core data) provide an excellent foundation for repurposing and evaluating the subsurface for decarbonisation. Fortunately, these data have recently become available through the National Data Repository (NDR). Access and use of these data will extend the life of the mature North Sea basin and its re-emergence as a site where carbon storage, geothermal, wind and hydrogen can provide new low-carbon energy sources, and as a repository to help us decarbonise industrial hubs, such as Humberside, Teesside and Merseyside.
The re-purposing of UK basins will require skilled geoscientists. While the uptake may be slow, the need for talent will increase if we are to understand and characterize new decarbonisation opportunities. There is a dual opportunity for experienced individuals to up-skill or re-skill and for young professionals, early career researchers, students and school children to have a sense of optimism that there is a vital role and place for them as we strive to meet net-zero targets.
What are some of the biggest challenges we face in getting there?
If we are to achieve the set climate goals and net-zero emissions targets, it is essential to have a pipeline of talented people who have the right skills and mindset to test options and seek socially-acceptable solutions. The association between geology and the extractive industries (such as oil, gas, coal, metal and mining activities) is too commonly made and lessens the apparent attraction and relevance of Earth science to schoolchildren. Furthermore, the demise of Higher Geology in Scotland and declining access to the subject elsewhere in the UK is impacting university recruitment. The numbers of geoscience students, most notably studying petroleum-related MScs, has consequently fallen.
Most of us got into geoscience through a love of landscapes, geological processes, fossils and maps, not through a wish to despoil the planet. I believe that we need a sustained effort to make geoscience a more visible, relevant and attractive subject for the younger generation, as well as more accessible to wider and more diverse communities. I commend and applaud the Geological Society’s efforts in this regard and the production of highly informative fact sheets is a step in the right direction.
With increased understanding of the key issues associated with the energy transition, how has our approach to teaching and learning content changed?
Our approach has shifted rapidly as universities seek to address an ongoing recruitment crisis. Many have or are re-designing their BSc and MSc courses; others have rebranded their department names. Likewise, the trends in research and available staff positions are changing to reflect net zero and the need to be relevant.
Courses are populated with new content and there is an increasing awareness of the need to integrate topics like social license, public outreach, media communication and Government policy, as well as novel methods, such as virtual reality to augment fieldtrips through drone and laser technologies and artificial intelligence.
Can you update us on the Centre for Doctoral Training programme?
The GeoNetZero Centre for Doctoral Training, or GNZ CDT, has gone from strength-to-strength. It is an academic-industry partnership involving 12 UK universities (Aberdeen, Birmingham, Dundee, Durham, Exeter (Camborne), Heriot-Watt, Keele, Newcastle, Nottingham, Plymouth, Royal Holloway and Strathclyde) that undertakes research and training in geoscience and the low-carbon energy transition. Importantly, the CDT continues to be supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) showing the significance UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) attach to the programme.
The GNZ CDT consists of PhD research conducted in one of the host universities, as well as a unique 20-week training programme that is led from Heriot-Watt University and delivered by tutors from the universities, as well as leading training providers such as GeoLogica.
32 new PhD students were recruited to the GNZ programme in the past year, all of whom are undertaking projects that address the energy transition and net zero. A further 16 projects will be advertised this Autumn for a 2022 start.
The success of the GNZ CDT has recently been underlined by its inclusion in the UK Government’s North Sea Transition Deal, the only entity named in its Postgraduate Training section, something that paves the way for further support for the programme.
Are there any upcoming projects or developments you’re particularly excited about?
I am very excited about a number of projects, especially those that address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, consistent with the Paris accord, are relevant to COP26 and contribute to the decarbonisation of the UK—be that the energy system or those areas that are harder to tackle, such as heating, cooling, heavy goods vehicles and the large industrial emitters.
As well as the projects that are evaluating carbon and hydrogen storage opportunities, a particular highlight involves the potential for low-enthalpy geothermal using abandoned coal mines. Its successful deployment could see geoscience play a significant role in addressing fuel poverty, especially in those areas blighted by high unemployment resulting from the closure of heavy industries. Pilot projects that will test whether the water in flooded coal mines can be used as a source of heat are underway in some of the UK’s old industrial heartlands. If this approach works, it has the potential to see coal mines converted from sites where the dirtiest fossil fuel was extracted to a valuable new source of renewable heat. In so doing, one could “turn the old black into the new green”, which would be a tremendous demonstration of how geology can make a real difference to people’s lives.
