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ENERGY MATERIALS NETWORK / 34 / OCTOBER 2019 D evelopment of novel materials, e.g. 2D materials, are the key for competitive, af - fordable and reli- able energy storage, conversion and renewable energy harvest- ing devices. There is a range of innovative technologies avail- able today, such as redox flow batteries, and on the horizon, such as sodium and magnesium ion and lithium-air batteries, and porous carbons. A unique conference this sum - mer in the North East of England at Newcastle University organised by the North East Centre for En- ergy Materials (NECEM), explored The UK's energy network will need to deliver beyond its current limitations to decarbonise, enhance energy security, prevent failures and adapt to climate change. To do this the materials that serve as the backbone for electrical energy storage, renewable energy generation, gas and the grid itself will need to change and evolve. What will these technologies and materials look like in future and how might they underpin the future of the energy network? Academics from Newcastle University and Durham University discuss. a plethora of novel energy ma- terials that could transform our energy system. It also explored the 'breakthrough' prospect of modelling the UK's energy net - work from atoms to system scale to see how different materials and components interact on the grid. This could be used to evaluate energy storage for example by testing the cells of the batteries in simulation and operation using grid scale testbeds. Without getting the material science right we are unlikely to roll out the future of a net zero grid. To decarbonise the energy network two major 'saving grace' technologies tend to be in the public spotlight: renewable energy generation and energy storage. Both technologies, especially the latter, are made from finite precious resources like lithium. While lithium is much cheaper than in the past, it is still expensive to apply at grid-scale and faces a stability problem. The primary driver for using lithium for grid storage is the explosion in market demand for lithium battery powered electron - ics. While it is not an ideal mate- rial for grid-scale energy storage, it is likely to be used in this capac- ity for the foreseeable future. Grid-scale and smart imple- mentation of energy storage de- vices will aid the decarbonisation of the world's electricity grids. But depending primarily on one or a few materials alone could put us in a precarious position in terms of stability and security of supply chain. For example, vanadium used in redox flow batteries and cobalt used in several Li-ion bat - tery technologies, recently had a price shock due to rising demand. Earth abundant materials like iron and nickel are preferable and a focus of current research. New energy materials could be the tipping point for system scale decarbonisation and energy security. The biological turn in energy materials Rather than use physical materi- als alone for grid applications, the energy network could become increasingly biologi- How materials will underpin the future of the energy network cal. To some extent, this has occurred with biogas generation from anaerobic digestion plants and energy generated from the burning of biomass, possibly the oldest fuel in the world. Similarly, we could be seeing solar devices that work similar to plants and generate solar fuel in the form of hydrogen, bioelec - trochemical fuel cells that use microbes, along with bio-based forms of carbon capture and storage systems. Buildings them - selves can also generate energy using biomaterials integrated into building fabrics. These are all exciting prospects for the UK's energy network that could help lead to a more integrated energy system, especially as it becomes closely coupled to the transport network AUTHORS: Dr Elizabeth Gibson (reader in energy materials, Newcastle University) Dr Mohamed Mamlouk (senior lecturer in engineering, Newcastle University) Dr Michael Hunt (lecturer in Department of Physics, Durham University) Brett Cherry (science writer, Newcastle University)