Making a material difference in energy

The extraction of fuels and their conversion into power requires an extensive range of materials. Energy reserves are increasingly found deep underwater or far below the ground, and in severe locations. The containment and use of energy resources imposes further constraints on structural materials, from the subzero conditions of liquefied gas containers to the containment of gas plasmas at several thousand degrees in fusion reactors. Structural materials have been developed to meet many of these requirements, but cheaper and longer-lasting alternatives are needed.As intermittent distributed power becomes more common, new materials are needed for fuel cells, combined heat and power, wind and wave power, and energy storage. As well as offering higher efficiency, new materials will cut the cost of energy generation and storage. Fuel-efficient transport and low-energy electrical equipment will also call for new materials, as will renewable energy and the ‘hydrogen economy’. The possible reinvigoration of nuclear power and the development of fusion will also pose continuing challenges for materials science. Energy materials priorities are identified for each of these important technology areas.