NPL, the UK’s National Measurement Institute, will re-launch this month to help the UK get more value from renewables and low-carbon technology and increase the understanding of emissions and pollution. This new approach will see NPL apply the latest advances in measurement to make every stage of energy generation and transport more efficient, safe and affordable and to improve the quality of data available on climate change and air pollution.
The Paris Accord means that worldwide, there will be a greater emphasis on monitoring and mitigating the effects of climate change. Also, with a ban on the sale of diesel and petrol cars by 2040, announced this year, the UK’s energy infrastructure will need to undergo a substantial shift, in order to meet demand and support economic growth.
NPL has more than a century of expertise in providing underpinning measurement standards, skills and technologies based on those standards, to industry. NPL quality assures measurements of air pollution, operates a world-leading capability for detecting greenhouse gas emissions, and is the site of London’s first new public access hydrogen refuelling station. Good measurement is crucial to assessing the performance of technologies and processes, to ensure those with the most potential can quickly get to market and be integrated effectively into the grid to provide energy security in the long-term.
NPL is re-launching in direct response to government policy, including the Industrial Strategy, as well as extensive consultancy with the energy industry. NPL is now unveiling a number of new programmes to pave the way to a greener future for the UK:
- Testing low-cost air quality sensors to increase their utility
- Paving the way to a hydrogen economy by helping to improve the viability and performance of fuel cells, electrolysers and hydrogen purity
- Consulting with industry on future battery development to help improve capacity and integration into the grid
- New technologies to make nuclear decommissioning safer and quicker
- Providing more confidence in satellite-derived climate data
Jane Burston, Head of Energy & Environment at NPL said: “Without trustworthy data we can never be confident that the measures we take to minimise climate change are having the desired impact. We need to know that the information we gather on emissions, or air quality for example, is accurate and that people can use the data to make decisions. We also need to validate the performance of innovative new environmental technologies, to ensure that these new businesses can prove their claims to investors and customers. As the UK’s National Measurement Institute, NPL is uniquely equipped to provide this validation and confidence.”
Dr. Peter Thompson, CEO of NPL, said, “Many people are unaware of the scope, scale or quality of work that NPL delivers, or the part that it has played in some of the biggest discoveries in modern history. The effects of the science, technology and engineering that NPL delivers are felt by everyone, everywhere. After a century as the silent partner to industry, we are proud to re-launch NPL, to ensure it can further accelerate UK industry and deliver extraordinary impact on our economy and quality of life for many years to come.”
Alongside Energy & Environment, NPL is also focusing its activity in three other areas: Advanced Manufacturing, Digital, and Life Sciences & Health.
