As our understanding of this scientific field progresses, there is the distinct possibility that it could provide opportunities for developing the next generation of technology that could revolutionise every industry, from global communications to driverless cars.
The energy sector is a good example of an industry that could be transformed by quantum technology.
Quantum could open up an ultrahigh- definition window into the earth, helping us to uncover vast and hidden energy reserves.
Portable quantum gravity sensors that measure the gravitational field at the surface of the Earth to reveal subterranean secrets, could both revolutionise the maintenance of underground energy pipelines, and produce high-speed, non-destructive methods of oil and gas exploration.
At the same time, this technology could also dramatically lower the cost and environmental impact of energy exploration and enable us to find new fossil fuel reserves at a speed and scale that was previously unimaginable.
The emergence of quantum technology in the area could not be timelier. Although fossil fuels are forecast to provide over half of primary world energy in 2040, research shows that oil firms are no longer sufficiently investing in finding new reserves, presenting a huge potential problem for the future.
Recent figures revealed a 12% drop in investment in oil exploration last year, with discoveries of conventional oil falling to 2.4 billion barrels, half the level of 2015, the year of the fewest new discoveries since 1952.
Causes are complex, from the recent collapse in crude prices deterring investment in exploration, to the high risk and cost of exploration in challenging environments, such as the quest for deepwater reserves.
As a result, future energy prices could skyrocket as demand exceeds supply, leaving the world facing power shortages. Critically, it could lead to an overreliance on inflexible power sources such as wind and solar energy.
This could be dangerous because they cannot be shamelessly scaled up or down to meet fluctuating demand and only work when the wind blows or the sun shines. Without new investment in exploration, the International Energy Agency warns that a supply crunch could come as early as 2020.
Quantum technologies hold enormous promise for a wide range of sectors
Peter Thompson
The emergence of new quantum technologies, not just for oil and gas but many other industry sectors, is a success of the government’s investment in the UK Quantum Technologies Programme.
The recent Blackett Review argues that industry, academia and government must dramatically speed up the identification of areas of quantum with economic benefit, and that industry should also inject funds into those promising areas to accelerate commercialisation.
Part of the barrier may be that quantum technology is based on advanced and extraordinary physics at the very cutting edge of science, which means it lacks the validation needed to drive early investment.
Research into these applications of quantum in sectors, like the oil and gas industry, will be the focus of the national quantum activity that I will be leading, alongside Innovate UK and EPSRC, as well as other stakeholders in the UK Quantum Technologies Programme. Together we will align UK industry’s needs to the potential of emerging quantum technologies.
The use of quantum technology for the low-cost discovery of future energy reserves could just be the tip of the iceberg. Quantum technologies hold enormous promise for a wide range of sectors, and could form a multibillion- pound industry here in the UK.
Making the most of this will require an increasingly joined-up approach between industry and government. We will work to create the optimum environment for public and private investment to turn these opportunities into reality, and aim to give UK businesses first access to disruptive quantum technologies to drive international trade and business growth.
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