Carefully chosen partnerships with energy sector companies allow academics to achieve impact at scale and help the University to fulfil its mission to contribute to society through the pursuit of research at the highest international standards of excellence. We continue to work in the restricted way described below with companies involved in the traditional energy sector where we believe they have a role in accelerating the transition to renewable or decarbonised energy and in scaling-up promising green technology.
We want to be transparent about these partnerships and so on this page we describe:
- The due diligence process we apply to funding from the traditional energy sector.
- Research funding and philanthropic donations from firms in the traditional energy sector. While the University works with a variety of energy companies, we are disclosing recent engagement with companies that have major fossil fuel activities, and that have contributed more than £1M in funding over the last three academic years.
Funding approved since October 2020
In October 2020, the University adopted guidelines for decision-making on accepting research funding and donations in relation to its commitment to address climate change through a transition to a zero-carbon world. This enhanced what was already a rigorous due diligence process. Since October 2020, all new funding has been subject to climate-specific due diligence and scrutiny, including funding from the energy sector.
In June 2021, the University created an enhanced set of criteria for energy companies. These include a RED AMBER GREEN (RAG) scale, which is applied to energy firms to determine their alignment with the University’s climate change guidelines, and a written assessment from non-conflicted experts on whether the purpose of the proposed collaboration contributes meaningfully to the energy transition. The RAG categories are summarised as follows:
- Red: Unsuitable firms because their interests are wholly incompatible with the University’s climate change guidelines.
- Yellow/Amber: The University will accept funding for research contracts or philanthropic funding from these firms only in some cases (yellow) or by exception (amber) taking into account whether the individual project consists of research which significantly furthers the global energy transition to a sustainable future.
- Green: Suitable firms because their interests are wholly compatible with the University’s climate change guidelines.
Since the introduction of these new guidelines, the University has only accepted funding from energy companies where it was sure that the resulting collaboration would help the industry and UK and global society move to renewable or decarbonised energy.
Example: sustainably-produced synthetic aviation fuel
University of Cambridge academics are working with Shell on the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to advance gas-to-liquids (GTL) technologies. The research will help better understand the fundamental chemistry and physics of the conversion processes. GTL technology has been used recently by Shell to create sustainably produced synthetic fuel (kerosene) from CO2, water and renewable energy. This has been used to partly fuel an international flight by a passenger jet – a world first. This pilot project produced a small amount of fuel. However, steps to increase synthetic aviation fuel (SAF) production represent incremental innovation in the sector and are one of a range of technologies being explored to deliver zero-carbon aviation.
Earlier collaborations
In recent years, staff working with traditional energy companies led a strategic shift away from research on fossil fuel extraction and towards sustainable energy resources and new green technologies, even before the University adopted central guidelines.
Although, historically, there are some legacy oil and gas projects, over time an increasing proportion have focused on developing next-generation power and heating systems and carbon capture and storage. The processes put in place in October 2020 ensure that our academic-led strategic shift is now permanent.
List of funding received from the energy sector
These tables disclose funding from companies that have major fossil fuel activities and that have contributed more than a cumulative total of £1M over the last three years.
The first table shows research funding by project. While the University primarily conducts fundamental research, the column on the right of the table discloses the expected potential application of the research.
The second table presents non-prescriptive donations by intended gift destination. Gifts donated for research are used by Cambridge academics to make advances on sustainability goals.
Table 1. Research funding from traditional energy sector firms
|
Award Date |
Award band |
Project start year |
Project end year |
Funder Name |
Project title |
Potential application of the research |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/04/2022 | £2.5M - £4.9M | 2022 | 2024 | Shell | Digital materials: Using magnetic resonance techniques to understand the physical and chemical processes that govern fluid displacement in complex porous materials as required, for instance, to optimize catalyst particles, reactor design and to enable safe and permanent sequestration of CO2 in the subsurface. | Green technologies | ||
|
24/04/2021 |
£10K - £49K |
2021 |
2025 |
BP |
Optimisation of EV battery charging 2 |
Green technologies |
||
|
24/04/2021 |
£250K - £499K |
2021 |
2025 |
BP |
Optimisation of EV battery charging 1 |
Green technologies |
||
|
25/02/2021 |
£10K - £49K |
2021 |
2024 |
Shell |
Developing electrolytes in cost-effective batteries for large scale energy storage (redox flow batteries) 2 |
Green technologies |
||
|
21/01/2021 |
£1M - £2.4M |
2020 |
2023 |
Shell |
Developing cost-effective batteries for large scale energy storage (redox flow batteries) |
Green technologies |
||
|
21/12/2020 |
£10K - £49K |
2021 |
2024 |
Shell |
Developing catholytes in cost-effective batteries for large scale energy storage (redox flow batteries) 1 |
Green technologies |
||
|
17/12/2020 |
£100K - £249K |
2020 |
2024 |
BP |
Improving energy efficiency in heating and ventilating convenience stores |
Green technologies |
||
|
17/12/2020 |
£100K - £249K |
2020 |
2024 |
BP |
Hydrogen storage in the subsurface for long term energy storage |
Green technologies |
||
|
17/12/2020 |
£100K - £249K |
2020 |
2024 |
BP |
Understanding the effect of geological strata variations for permanently storing carbon underground |
Green technologies |
||
|
17/12/2020 |
£100K - £249K |
2021 |
2024 |
BP |
Understanding the effect of geological structure (faults and fractures) variations for permanently storing carbon underground |
Green technologies |
||
|
17/12/2020 |
£100K - £249K |
2020 |
2024 |
BP |
Comparative modelling of alternative systems to use geothermal energy |
Green technologies |
||
|
04/12/2020 |
£10K - £49K |
2020 |
2024 |
Shell |
Developing membranes in cost-effective batteries for large scale energy storage (redox flow batteries) |
Green technologies |
||
|
16/11/2020 |
£100K - £249K |
2020 |
2024 |
BP |
Using chemical methods to remove and recycle heavy metals from waste water |
Green technologies |
||
Total award value for 2020-2024: £7.5M |
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|
|
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|
^ New Process for scrutinising income from energy companies |
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|
|
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|
07/09/2020 |
£10K - £49K |
|
|
BP |
Sustainable and resource efficient design of batteries |
Green technologies |
||
|
21/04/2020 |
£100K - £249K |
2018 |
2023 |
Shell |
Support for the Centre for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science |
Green technologies |
||
|
02/10/2019 |
£100K - £249K |
2019 |
2028 |
BP |
Contribution to the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment: Resilience in a Changing World (FIBE2 CDT). BP contributes to the projects: |
Green technologies |
||
|
13/08/2019 |
£10K - £49K |
2018 top-up to a project that started in 2016 |
2021 |
BP |
The effects of additives (such as in drilling fluids) on rock permeability and rock strength |
Potential fossil fuel applications |
||
Total award value for 2019-2020: £0.4M |
||||||||
|
13/11/2018 |
£100K - £249K |
2018 |
2021 |
BP |
Studies of anti-wear additives to engine oil |
Dual use or transitional technologies (E.g. reducing carbon intensity of fossil fuel applications) |
||
|
23/10/2018 |
£100K - £249K |
2018 |
2021 |
Shell |
Developing materials to efficiently separate methane from higher hydrocarbons. |
Dual use or transitional technologies (E.g. reducing carbon intensity of fossil fuel applications) |
||
|
17/09/2018 |
£500K - £749K |
2018 |
2022 |
BP |
Fundamental studies of the deep Earth, particularly how the crust and the mantle interact |
Potential fossil fuel applications |
||
Total award value for 2018-2019: £0.9M |
||||||||
|
07/08/2018 |
£10K - £49K |
2017 |
2021 |
Shell |
Developing molecules to produce new cost-effective batteries (sodium ion batteries) |
Green technologies |
||
|
02/07/2018 |
£10K - £49K |
2017 |
2021 |
Shell |
Materials studies to produce new cost-effective batteries (sodium ion batteries) |
Green technologies |
||
|
08/02/2018 |
£10K - £49K |
2017 |
2022 |
Shell |
Novel chemical methods to protect steel surfaces |
Dual use or transitional technologies (E.g. reducing carbon intensity of fossil fuel applications) |
||
|
02/02/2018 |
£10K - £49K |
2017 |
2021 |
BP |
Improving digital methods to scan buildings, optimising construction and maintenance |
Green technologies |
||
|
01/02/2018 |
£250K - £499K |
2017 |
2021 |
BP |
Studies of interaction between oil and rock at the molecular scale |
Potential fossil fuel applications |
||
|
12/12/2017 |
£10K - £49K |
2016 |
2020 |
BP |
Fundamental molecular studies of hydorcarbons |
Potential fossil fuel applications |
||
|
12/12/2017 |
£10K - £49K |
2017 |
2022 |
BP |
Using advanced imaging techniques to improve chemical processes, especially to produce low carbon fuels. |
Green technologies |
||
|
01/12/2017 |
£1M - £2.4M |
2017 |
2020 |
BP |
Developing chemical methods to protect infrastructure surfaces in demanding environments, such as offshore windfarms or oil rigs. This would reduce the cost and environmental impact of frequent maintenance |
Dual use or transitional technologies (E.g. reducing carbon intensity of fossil fuel applications) |
||
Total award value for 2017-2018: £1.8M |
||||||||
|
22/09/2017 |
£250K - £499K |
2017 |
2019 |
Shell |
Advancing methods to develop new cost-effective batteries (sodium ion batteries) |
Green technologies |
||
|
03/08/2017 |
£50K - £99K |
2017 |
2020 |
BP |
Using machine learning to understand the physical properties of hydrocarbons to improve lubricants |
Dual use or transitional technologies (E.g. reducing carbon intensity of fossil fuel applications) |
||
|
27/07/2017 |
£50K - £99K |
2017 |
2021 |
BP |
Investigating chemical mechanisms for enhanced oil recovery |
Potential fossil fuel applications |
||
|
27/07/2017 |
<£10K |
2017 |
2017 |
Shell |
Using data mining to automate chemical process selection |
Dual use or transitional technologies (E.g. reducing carbon intensity of fossil fuel applications) |
||
|
25/05/2017 |
£10K - £49K |
2016 |
2020 |
BP |
Sequestration of carbon dioxide in the subsurface |
Green technologies |
||
|
05/04/2017 |
£500K - £749K |
2017 |
2022 |
BP |
Understanding fuel degradation in combustion engines to reduce emissions |
Green technologies |
||
|
08/11/2016 |
£1M - £2.4M |
2016 |
2021 |
Shell |
Developing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques to understand how gases and liquids flow through model porous media and rocks |
Dual use or transitional technologies (E.g. reducing carbon intensity of fossil fuel applications) |
||
|
01/11/2016 |
£50K - £99K |
2016 |
2020 |
BP |
Understanding how fluids (including oil) interact with and flow over different mineral surfaces |
Potential fossil fuel applications |
||
|
07/09/2016 |
£50K - £99K |
2016 |
2020 |
BP |
Understanding how different fluids interact at mineral surfaces and how they interact with the mineral surfaces |
Potential fossil fuel applications |
||
Total award value for 2016-2017: £3.3M |
||||||||
* All data is taken at a snapshot in time and will be updated periodically.
* Award date column shows the date the funding is received by the University. The review process and approval of funding took place prior to the award date.
* Table discloses funding data from traditional energy sector firms that have given more than £1M in funding over the last three years.
Table 2. Philanthropic donations from traditional energy sector firms. Non-prescriptive gifts donated for research are used by Cambridge academics to make advances on sustainability goals.
|
Gift Date |
Gift Band |
Donor Name |
Gift destination |
|---|---|---|---|
|
17/08/2020 |
<£10K |
BP |
Miscellaneous, e.g. student prizes, student support, unrestricted department support, etc |
|
06/11/2019 |
£5M - £7.4M |
Shell |
Support for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) research |
Total donation value for 2019-2020: £6M |
|||
|
03/10/2018 - 08/08/2019 |
£10K - £49K |
BP |
Miscellaneous, e.g. student prizes, student support, unrestricted department support, etc |
|
11/04/2019 |
£1M - £4.9M |
BP |
BP Institute Trust Fund: support for a new digital laboratory |
|
26/02/2019 |
<£10K |
Shell |
Miscellaneous, e.g. student prizes, student support, unrestricted department support, etc |
Total donation value for 2018-2019: £2M |
|||
|
13/03/2018 |
<£10K |
Shell |
Miscellaneous, e.g. student prizes, student support, unrestricted department support, etc |
|
24/11/2017 |
£100K - £249K |
BP |
Miscellaneous, e.g. student prizes, student support, unrestricted department support, etc |
Total donation value for 2017-2018: £0.1M |
|||
|
21/04/2017 |
<£10K |
Shell |
Miscellaneous, e.g. student prizes, student support, unrestricted department support, etc |
|
13/12/2016 - 08/03/2017 |
£100K - £249K |
Shell |
Support for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Centre (Core Infrastructure) |
Total donation value for 2016-2017: £0.2M |
|||
*All data is taken at a snapshot in time and will be updated periodically.
* Table discloses funding data from traditional energy sector firms that have given more than £1M in funding over the last three years.