Quantum Technology for Energy Transition
- Eric Lewis
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
As the UK energy sector races toward Net Zero, it faces many challenges, yet it is encountering a massive acceleration in technology—specifically the convergence of Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing.
The challenges facing today’s grid are unlike anything seen before. The UK is transitioning from a centralised system to a highly decentralised network integrating intermittent renewables, electric vehicles, storage, and real-time market dynamics. This shift brings extraordinary computational complexity, and classical methods are beginning to hit their limits. To maintain resilience, reliability, and efficiency, the sector is now looking to quantum technologies to solve problems that were previously impossible to compute.
For years, the quantum conversation has been dominated by the idea of Quantum Advantage—a hypothetical future moment when quantum computers outperform classical supercomputers on every meaningful task. But as Professor Jason Crain explained that framing misses what’s happening right now. According to him, we have already entered the era of Quantum Utility, where quantum computers become practically useful for real scientific and industrial challenges.
Many of the energy sector’s most pressing problems involve combinatorial optimisation—tasks that grow exponentially in difficulty as systems scale. Quantum computing may soon be capable of addressing problems such as unit commitment, wind turbine siting across varied terrain, and designing the lowest-cost network routes to connect offshore infrastructure. These are challenges where classical brute-force approaches fail, but where quantum algorithms could deliver meaningful acceleration.
"Quantum computers are becoming useful scientific tools for real research problems... They can perform reliable, reproducible, accurate, relatively accurate computations at a scale where brute force classical simulation fails" - Jason Crain, IBM
In this era, quantum computers are no longer just experimental physics projects. The future lies in a hybrid approach where quantum processors work alongside classical High-Performance Computing (HPC) and AI to tackle specific bottlenecks.
Another urgent area highlighted in the webinar is cybersecurity. The energy system is critical national infrastructure, and future quantum computers will eventually be able to break the encryption schemes widely used today. The sector must begin transitioning early to quantum-secure methods such as post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and quantum key distribution (QKD), ensuring long-term security before quantum hardware reaches full maturity.
The experts identified three specific areas where quantum technology offers the highest potential for the UK’s energy transition: Materials Science, Grid Optimisation and Infrastructure Sensing
Quantum’s role in materials science is particularly significant. Renewable energy depends on chemistry— in hydrogen catalysts, battery storage, or carbon capture systems. Classical computers cannot accurately simulate complex electronic structures because the computational cost increases exponentially. Quantum simulation, however, can break this barrier.
As Jason Crain described, quantum models could accelerate breakthroughs in hydrogen production, improve battery lifetimes by modelling strongly correlated materials, and make it possible to predict absorption energies in advanced carbon capture materials with unprecedented fidelity.
The UK grid becomes more flexible, balancing supply and demand becomes a massive challenge. Daniel Goldsmith detailed how quantum algorithms can solve combinatorial optimisation problems that are currently intractable:
The Unit Commitment Problem: This involves deciding which power generators to switch on or off to minimise carbon impact while meeting demand constraints (e.g., the time it takes for a gas plant to ramp up).
Facility Location: Determining the mathematically optimal placement for wind turbines to ensure they do not disrupt one another's airflow.
Network Design: Using algorithms like the "Steiner Tree" to find the most efficient cabling routes to connect offshore wind farms to the onshore grid.
“We’re moving from a predictable, centralised grid to a dynamic energy ecosystem where flexibility is everywhere. That shift demands smarter models, richer forecasting, and new ways of managing complexity. Quantum and AI together will help us operate the future grid in real time” - Daniel Goldsmith, Digital Catapult
Infrastructure sensing is another area already seeing early benefits. Quantum gravity sensors can identify underground utilities with extraordinary precision, reducing costs and delays during construction and maintenance. Quantum gas sensors are emerging as powerful tools for detecting hydrogen leaks—critical as the UK ramps up hydrogen production and transport. Meanwhile, quantum optical sensors provide the continuous monitoring necessary to secure the digital backbone of the national grid.
Yet, as both speakers emphasised, the biggest bottleneck is not the hardware—it’s the industry’s readiness to adopt it. The UK has world-leading quantum research capability, but industrial uptake lags behind other global players. Closing this gap requires targeted skills development, closer collaboration between energy experts and quantum technologists, and more opportunities for companies to experiment with quantum tools in low-risk environments.
Join us for more insightful discussions on the UK's Net Zero and Energy Transition at The Foresight Event 2026 to connect with industry leaders and stay at the forefront of innovation!
