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NETWORK / 35 / OCTOBER 2019 via electric and hydrogen vehi- cles. The challenge for bio-based or hybrid energy materials is that they are not always as efficient as their physical counterparts, but they have clear advantages for hydrogen fuel generation and conversion of nitrogen com- pounds under ambient conditions to use in fertilisers. A material revolution Innovations in energy materi- als are essential to rolling out energy storage to decarbonise and make our energy network resilient to power failures. The UK will need to produce 312 TWh of hydrogen and roll out 23 GW of battery storage (National Grid, future energy scenario, 2019) by 2050 to meet UK decar - bonisation target (2°C scenario) as more renewable generators go online. But the materials we use for energy storage need to be sustainable, cheap, flexible, high capacity and abundant. To achieve net zero carbon emissions we need to go beyond batteries and take advantage of novel materials such as porous carbons and metal-organic frame - work materials for hydrogen stor- age. For example, electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs), o'en known as 'supercapacitors', have high power densities and cyclability which means they could be combined with batteries in efficient hybrid energy storage systems capable of coping with rapid power fluctuations. Whatever materials we use in batteries for the grid we will need to make them in larger quantities to satisfy demands for the energy network. The state of the art uses approaches such as high through - put screening of materials and in operando analysis to an atomic or molecular scale. Artificial intel- ligence predicts how the materials behave at a systems level, in combination with advanced simu- lation methods to understand their interaction with the grid. This means oversight of material performance and degradation at an infinitesimal scale. If the grid becomes more dependent on storage in future, it is essential to learn about energy materials' degradation, resil- ience or vulnerability to failure. There is clearly a critical need for an in-depth knowledge and understanding of how operating conditions influence materials' behaviour and failure modes in operating devices. We also need to understand the impact of these changes on the device and conse- quently the system performance and reliability. 2D materials Ultra-high specific surface area, tunable chemistry, process- ability and mechanical ro- bustness have made (quasi-) two-dimensional materials highly attractive for a range of energy harvesting and storage applications. Graphene – a single, atomically thin, layer of graphite – has so far received the most attention, with labora - tory scale devices made from this material and its few-layer analogues demonstrating great potential for the next generation of supercapacitors and batteries. A great advantage of graphene is that, being composed of pure carbon, the precursors are earth- abundant. New advances in computational chemistry has enabled gaps be - tween atomic and system-level simulation and modelling of timescales from femtoseconds to hours or longer. This means it's possible to look at how small changes in the structure and fundamental composition of en - ergy materials affect everything from charge-separation and transport to device degradation/ failure (chemical or mechani - cal). But due to the rapid devel- opment of novel materials and evolution of technologies, model- ling of the energy network and any built-in assumptions need to account for the state of the art of energy materials. New energy ma - terials have a major role to play in delivering a net-zero carbon future, which is something to be excited about from multiple levels of the energy network – from generation to distribution, storage and management of the energy system as a whole. Quention Kopp, chairman of Pollywood, discusses a new way to make electricity poles using 85% less wood. Pollywood Ltd have developed a productive relationship with the electricity distributor for the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, Northern Powergrid and the Energy Innovation Centre (EIC), whose financial, technical and business support have enabled us to develop a new type of power pole designed to meet the needs of the industry. This pole is much more than a like for like replacement for the enduring, but toxic creosoted pole. Pollywood's system enables distribution network operators to rely on consistent assured performance and reductions in the range of poles required. Standardisation of the outside diameter of all poles, including extra stouts, creates savings by reducing the fittings to be stocked. Pollywood can make the poles to order within a week. In addition to being light and easy to handle the Pollywood Pole will not expose linesmen or the public to leached chemicals of any sort, and linesmen will be able to climb them as they do now. These are just some of the benefits which make Pollywood Pole's whole life costs so attractive. Other benefits include: l Very strong, light and easy to handle l Low carbon l Low life time costs l Profit & loss and balance sheet benefits l Operational benefits – no wayleaves or cranes. Talk to Pollywood and the EIC on the Innovation Hub at LCNI 2019. www.pollywood-natural.com I N D U S T RY I N S I G H T The Pollywood Pole Staff from Pollywood and Northern Powergrid with the Pollywood Pole. Iain Miller and Andrew Webster from Northern Powergrid. Copyright: NpG.