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Around 1000 delegates from science and industry attended an international conference on energy storage in porous media in Edinburgh, the largest conference of its kind ever organised by Heriot-Watt University.
The 2023 Interpore International Conference on Porous Media brought together experts from disciplines including geothermal energy, biotechnology, engineering and geosciences to advance knowledge and global transition to low-carbon energy solutions.
Organised by experts from the Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Sciences and the Institute for GeoEnergy Engineering (IGE), the major event took a deep dive into how porous media systems, such as soil, deep subsurface reservoirs, granite, nature-based agriculture or fuel cells, can be critical in the global effort to absorb greenhouse gas emissions while still meeting the world’s energy needs.
Sponsored by industry giants including Shell, Canon, Thermal Fisher Scientific and Kimberly-Clark, the event, held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) from 21-25 May, was clear in its ambitions to connect industry capability with scientific nous, creating a joined-up, credible approach to advancing safe and efficient carbon capture and energy storage actions that can decelerate the climate crisis caused by excessive carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
Professor of Earth Sciences at the Lyell Centre, Andreas Busch, who co-led the organising committee said: “We are incredibly proud to have hosted this year’s Interpore conference in Edinburgh, the first time it’s been held in the UK.
“Over the three days, participants from all over the world shared the latest science on how we can better use earth’s natural resources to combat carbon emissions and climate change. Topics and applications ranged from traditional porous media to the use of alternative fuel cells and even food packaging to help achieve net-zero.”
Professor for Flow in Porous Media at IGE, Florian Doster, also led on the organisation of the major event.
He said: “This year’s Interpore conference was a great success, gathering hundreds of experts keen to share knowledge that can propel us forward in our planetary aim of developing zero-carbon energy sources.
“Our thanks go to all the attendees for their participation and dedication to advancing science. The climate emergency exists beyond borders and a global alliance is crucial to identifying the next steps for action.”