The EPSRC Energy Programme will build on the large amount of
research already being conducted through a number of
consortia and
research programs at various institutions working in areas such as biomass and bioenergy,
marine energy, and extending the lifetime of conventional power plants through the Supergen programme.
The
consortium will coordinate scientific input and develop plans for future
marine hydrate expeditions to conduct
research drilling, recovering samples of the formation, logging and analytical activities to assess the geologic occurrence, regional context, and characteristics of methane hydrate deposits along the continental margins of the United States, likely focusing on the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic margin.