Professor Jon Gluyas elected President-designate of The Geological Society

Jon, who is the Executive Director of our Durham Energy Institute (DEI), will take over the presidency of The Geological Society from the current President, Ruth Allington, from June 2024 until 2026.

The Geological Society was formed in London in 1807 and is a world-leading communicator of Earth Science which aims to improve knowledge and understanding of the Earth for the public good.

Europe’s first Chair in Geoenergy

Jon, who is also a member of our Department of Earth Sciences, is a renowned geologist researching the shift from fossil fuels to zero carbon energy resources.

After spending his early career in the petroleum industry, he joined Durham in 2009 and became the first professor in Europe to hold a Chair in Geoenergy, Carbon Capture and Storage.

He has been instrumental in forming and building an international research collaboration to identify natural reservoirs of hydrogen and helium throughout the world. This award-winning research is an important initial step towards the development of commercially viable zero carbon alternatives to oil and gas.

Ultra-low carbon alternatives

Under Jon’s leadership, the DEI has spearheaded research into the technological, geological and societal aspect of moving from fossil fuels to ultra-low carbon alternatives.

This includes research into geothermal energy, a natural, underground heat source, which could provide sustainable, carbon-neutral heating and cooling for large areas of the UK. Jon is President of Global Geothermal Energy Advancement Association.

The DEI leads on research into wind power, solar energy, smart technologies for energy management, energy storage, carbon dioxide geostorage, the continuing development of novel energy materials, and behavioural change in society associated with renewable energy use.

The DEI is also driving the UK hydrogen revolution as a replacement for fossil fuels in transport and transport infrastructure, as well as a fuel source in the production of heat for industrial processes and within the home.

Find out more

• Discover more about Professor Jon Gluyas, Executive Director of Durham Energy Institute and the Ørsted/Ikon Chair in Geoenergy, Carbon Capture & Storage in our Department of Earth Sciences.

• Jon will be the second Durham academic to be President of The Geological Society after Sir Kingsley Dunham in 1966 to 1968. Learn more about The Geological Society.

• See the fantastic research we do at the Durham Energy Institute.

• Our Department of Earth Sciences is ranked in the world top 50 by the QS World University Rankings. The department aspires to help shape the future by providing the highest quality education for our students and by undertaking research that is both intrinsically excellent and relevant to society. Feeling inspired? Visit our Earth Sciences webpages to learn more about our postgraduate and undergraduate programmes.