The National Robotarium supports groundbreaking greenhouse gas monitoring initiative
The National Robotarium is supporting a pioneering new initiative to monitor greenhouse gases in Edinburgh.
As part of the GEMINI+ project, led by Professor Paul Palmer and team from The University of Edinburgh’s School of Geosciences, a network of monitoring sites has been set-up across the city, using specialist instrumentation to map measurements of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane.
The testing compound area at The National Robotarium, located in Riccarton as part of Heriot-Watt University’s campus, is being used as one base for the Bruker equipment, which will link up with similar instruments across other locations in the monitoring network, including Port of Leith Distillery, Queen Margaret University and The University of Edinburgh to continuously collect data. The network also includes automatic weather stations to monitor wind patterns, which are crucial for interpreting the gas measurements.
The sophisticated Bruker equipment autonomously gathers real-time greenhouse gas data
Dr Will Morrison a research scientist at The University of Edinburgh led the roll-out of the monitoring sites and currently analyses the data collected from each of the locations to quantify city-wide emission estimates of CO2 and methane. This information aims to inform long-term climate strategies for the city, which has a net-zero target by 2030.
Chief Operating Officer at The National Robotarium, Steve Maclaren
Chief Operating Officer at The National Robotarium, Steve Maclaren, was integral to the facility being involved in the study. He said: “As the UK’s leading robotics centre, we’re committed to developing new technologies that promote sustainability and create a cleaner, safer planet for all.
“Our purpose-built facility is powered by solar energy and was designed with energy efficiency at its core. Hosting one of the GEMINI instruments allows us to actively support Edinburgh’s long-term carbon-neutral goals and contribute to climate science in a meaningful way.”
The National Robotarium is one of six Data-Driven Innovation hubs, funded in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, as part of the £1.5bn Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal.
