Research and Innovation
Better Value Electricity
As Britain increases its use of renewable energy, electricity networks must find costeffective ways to meet growing demand without building unnecessary infrastructure. Professor John Moriarty co-developed Real Options Cost-Benefit Analysis (ROCBA), a decision-support tool that helps electricity companies identify when existing resources can be used more efficiently instead of investing in expensive network upgrades. Originally developed for Electricity North West, the approach evolved into the Common Evaluation Methodology (CEM), which is now used across Great Britain and mandated by Ofgem. The methodology is estimated to deliver around £0.5 billion in economic benefits between 2024 and 2028, reducing costs for bill payers while supporting a more flexible and sustainable electricity system.
A new hub for green-energy research
Launched in 2024, Queen Mary's Green Energy Hub brings together researchers working on batteries, green hydrogen, photovoltaics, sustainable fuels and circular manufacturing to develop solutions for the clean-energy transition. Funded by a £3 million investment from Queen Mary, the Hub includes a 195 m² specialist laboratory for materials preparation, processing, characterisation and device testing, giving research teams space and equipment to develop and test new energy technologies.
It supports collaborative research with industry partners including Invinity, UBH, Aquatura, The Tyre Collective, Polymateria, CERES and Levidian, helping accelerate the development and deployment of sustainable technologies. Since its launch, Hub researchers have secured more than £7 million of funding to advance next-generation batteries, solar-energy harvesting, sustainable fuel production and innovative recycling solutions. Through collaborations with industry partners, the Hub supports the development, testing and translation of renewable-energy technologies, helping to accelerate innovation in areas including energy storage, solar power, green hydrogen and sustainable materials.
Working with industry on clean-energy technologies
Queen Mary works directly with companies on specific clean-energy challenges. Through collaboration with Power Roll, Queen Mary is developing ultra-thin perovskite solar technology for large-scale manufacture. These ultra-thin, flexible materials are seen as a game-changer in the quest for lightweight, efficient and affordable solar energy solutions.
The HyPStore project, which began in July 2024, is developing low-carbon hydrogen production and safer storage for transport applications. Led by Graphene Innovations Manchester, the consortium brings together Marshall Slingsby Advanced Composites Limited, First Graphene Limited, Queen Mary University of London, Brunel University of London, Australia Sunlight Group, the University of Southern Queensland and the University of Melbourne, with funding from Innovate UK.
Together, these collaborations demonstrate how Queen Mary works with industry partners to research and develop renewable-energy technologies, including advanced solar materials and low-carbon hydrogen systems, helping to accelerate the transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions.
Cutting methane emissions from shipping
Researchers at Queen Mary are also looking at reducing emissions from transport. In February 2025, Queen Mary researchers Dr Paul Balcombe and Dr Patrick Cullen helped establish Methanox, a company focused on reducing methane emissions from natural-gas-powered ships. Methane can escape unburned from marine engines, reducing the climate benefit of using natural gas in place of conventional marine fuels. Methanox is developing technology to address this problem and secured £1.5 million of investment from Tharisa PLC to take the work towards commercial use. By developing technology to reduce methane slip from natural-gas-powered vessels, methanox is supporting improvement of the environmental performance of lower-carbon maritime fuels and supporting cleaner shipping operations.
Centre for Sustainable Engineering
In 2023, renewable energy provided more than 30% of the world’s electricity, but faster progress is needed to make clean energy affordable and reliable for everyone. Queen Mary’s Centre for Sustainable Engineering answers this need, leading a £23 million research portfolio spanning renewable generation, storage and circular manufacturing. Its international reach includes co-founding Indonesia’s National Battery Research Institute, backed by UK GCRF funding, which has run 394 activities and 78 projects, engaging 948 institutions and 15,000+ participants across 38 countries.