Please download a personal letter from Prof Tim Mays, Director and PI of UK-HyRES, confirming early details of the new EPSRC Hub. We are especially keen to ”spread the message” far and wide, including to individuals and organisations who may not be aware of UK-HyRES nor the opportunities of association. In which case would you please forward the letter to your networks. We appreciate the risks (and sincerely apologise for) any x-posting.
Thank you and kind regards,
UK-HyRES Administration Team
We are delighted to finally be able to announce, after receiving excellent feedback from the EPSRC, that the UK-HyRES Hub proposal was successful and we have now formally begun our initial five year funding window (June 2023 – June 2028) . Once again many thanks to the entire community for supporting us in putting together this ambitious research hub. Please bear with us as we begin this second phase, further details will be released soon. We are particularly focused on updating the community on our substantial flexible project fund and developing ways we can work together to deliver tangible impact.
Read the University of Bath Press Release >
Read the University of Warwick Press Release >
Read The University of Sheffield Press Release
We are pleased to announce, following the positive feedback received from the EPSRC, that the UK-HyRES Hub proposal has been successful. As a result, we have officially commenced our initial five-year funding period.
We would like to express our gratitude to the entire community for their support in creating this ambitious research hub. We kindly ask for your patience as we enter this next phase, as more information will be shared soon. Our main priority is to provide the community with updates on our significant flexible project fund and explore collaborative opportunities to achieve real-world impact.
- New member of the Carbon Trust’s CHIP (Clean Hydrogen Innovation Programme) Advisory Committee.
- Attended by invitation a Net Zero meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Western Gateway in Portcullis House, Westminster on 11/7/23.
- Attended by invitation a meeting of the US/UK R&D Action Plan Working Group 2 (reactor technologies) Nuclear Hydrogen Modelling Workshop on 11/7/23.
- Joined DESNZ’s new Hydrogen Delivery Council’s Jobs, Skills and Supply Chains Working Group on 11/7/23.
Prof. Tim Mays has been appointed as Theme Lead and Co-I of ZENITH, the new EPSRC Prosperity Partnership with GKN Aerospace (ref: EP/X025403/1) that focuses on hydrogen storage in future aircraft. Read more at UKRI
FUTURE PERSPECTIVE | EDINBURGH
EDINBURGH | 20/04/23
UK-HyRES held its latest hydrogen community engagement meeting, “Future Perspective”, at the Royal Society of Edinburgh on Thursday 20 April 2023.
Aims and Objectives
- A look forward to the Hub and to share details
- To hear leading expert perspectives on the future of hydrogen and alternative liquid fuel research
- To emphasis the Hub structures strategic alignment to the future direction of research (technical and cross-cutting)
- To network and build collaborations and partnerships
Over 60 delegates convened to hear a range of national and international speakers.
Gus MacIntosh (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) gave an opening address and shared the department’s future strategy and reminded us of the importance of cross-sector collaboration, commenting “You can’t work in a silo when you’re trying to change the global energy system”.
Prof Martin Dornheim (Leverhulme International Professor for Hydrogen Storage Materials and Systems, University of Nottingham) delivered the first talk, which focused on his research in solid state metal hydride storage systems.
Prof. Dornheim presents in Edinburgh 2023.
Invited international speaker Dr. Peter Holtappels (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) discussed electrochemical processes for Power2X and E-fuels, highlighting the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) and the StoRIES project, which aims to build a storage research infrastructure ecosystem.
Prof. Holtappels presents in Edinburgh 2023.
Professor Jennifer Wen (Professor in Energy Resilience, University of Surrey) focused on her perspective of the safety challenges and her research into ignition and flames, reaffirming “It is so important to address safety across the entire H2 value chain”.
Prof. Wen presents in Edinburgh 2023.
Jon Harman (Technology Delivery Director, Ceres Power) stressed the importance of green hydrogen production and discussed Ceres’ Solid Oxide technology and the development of the SteelCell. Reminding us that this was born from a university spin-out and the importance of research.
Jon Harman presents in Edinburgh 2023.
Prof Anthony Kucernak (Professor of Physical Chemistry, Imperial College London) shared a fantastic pre-recorded talk as he was currently away. He reminded us to not only look at the small scale and also to think creatively. Prof. Kucernak highlighted his research that showed that you can reduce the cost of hydrogen by valorising waste streams and producing valuable secondary products.
Prof Andresen presents in Edinburgh 2023.
Our final talk was delivered by Prof. John Andresen (Heriot-Watt University) who focused on the industrial decarbonisation challenge, emphasising the point that the industrial sector is responsible for 9% UK GDP, 2.5 million direct jobs, 16% UK emissions and will need 2 million more green jobs by 2030.
Nigel Holmes (Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Association) chaired a lively afternoon panel discussion which was a look at the future hydrogen economy. Panellists included Prof John Irvine (University of St Andrews), Prof Joan Cordiner (University of Sheffield), Alan Mortimer (Development Director, Eneus Energy Ltd) and Dr Peter Forman (Northumbria University). Prof Irvine reminded us all that “Tomorrow’s technology is today’s research” and that we should challenge ourselves to go further than Net Zero and aim for a carbon negative system. Prof Mays rounded the day off with his vision for the proposed hub and his hope, that together, we can overcome challenges, deliver net zero and build a future hydrogen economy.
Panel discussion Edinburgh 2023.
Slides
Hydrogen-safety-research-the-achievements-and-the-challenges
The UK Hydrogen Champion engaged with stakeholders across the hydrogen value chain between July and December 2022.
This report summarises their findings and makes recommendations for government and industry to accelerate the growth of the hydrogen sector.
The UK Hydrogen Champion, Jane Toogood, was appointed in July 2022 as an independent advisor to government and industry on the development of the UK hydrogen economy. Read the report
PRE-ANNOUNCEMENT OF CALLS FOR RESEARCH PROJECT FUNDING
An exciting and unique opportunity to be part of a major new hydrogen research programme in the UK.
Download the pre-announcement
16/06/2023 Update: Please keep an eye out on these webpages for a forthcoming announcement about flexible funding via the UK-HyRES Hub.
Subject to review, UK-HyRES plans to issue three calls to fund new innovative and impactful hydrogen research projects. There is a £4.7M (Full Economic Cost, FEC) flexible budget for these projects, with the the first call in May 2023. This is a pre-announcement to encourage early project development.
Projects should:
1. be based at organisations (usually universities) that are eligible for EPSRC funding,
2. normally involve multi-disciplinary investigator teams mainly in engineering and the physical sciences though involvement of research elements in the social sciences will be strongly encouraged where appropriate,
3. involve substantive co-funding, co-creation and co-management with one or more industry, business, policy, civic and third-sector partners normally in the UK,
4. normally align with one or more key research areas identified during the Co-ordination phase of UK-HyRES (see workshop reports) (fuel cells and blue hydrogen are outside the remit of the Hub, see Call), align with national policy including the Hydrogen Strategy,
5. have clearly articulated positive and sustainable impacts in key areas such as carbon emissions to Net Zero, energy security, cost competitiveness, wealth creation and social acceptance, last up to 3 years, with maximum funding per project of about £425k FEC (shorter projects, funded pro rata, may include ”sprints” of 3-6 months duration),
6. have an end date by 30 April 2027,
7. have clearly articulated plans to embed principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Responsible and Ethical Research and Innovation and Development of Early Career Researchers and consider research collaboration outside UK-HyRES including with the HI-ACT Hydrogen Systems Integration Hub.
Proposal review
Project proposals will be assessed anonymously (“double blind”). Separate capacity and capability statements provided by the research teams will be assessed independently in order to inform funding decisions. An expert panel will rank and make a final decision about which projects will be funded. As well as research excellence, the panel will ensure that projects cover the breadth of the UK-HyRES remit.
Applicant benefits
Successful projects will benefit from strong support from the Hub’s management teams, constructive reviews, networking with Hub partners and opportunities to shape and take part in the Hub’s annual congresses and other events.
Prof Rachael Rothman Interviewed For CNBC’s Sustainable Futures
3rd Feb 2023
UK-HyRES recently had its co-investigator, Professor Rachael Rothman, interviewed by Anmar Frangoul from CNBC’s Sustainable Futures. The article discussed the potential role of different methods of hydrogen production, specifically focusing on green and pink hydrogen.
The production of hydrogen is a topic of great interest due to its potential role in securing a low-carbon future. However, the majority of hydrogen produced today still comes from fossil fuels, with low-emission hydrogen accounting for less than 1% of global hydrogen production in 2021, according to a report from the International Energy Agency.
“It has a lot of potential to help us decarbonise going forwards”
“The first thing to say is that hydrogen doesn’t really exist naturally, so it has to be produced,” said Professor Rothman. “It has a lot of potential to help us decarbonise going forwards, but we need to find low-carbon ways of producing it in the first place.”
Different methods of hydrogen production have been given different colours to differentiate them, with “grey hydrogen” being the most common and produced from natural gas through a process called steam methane reforming, which has a large associated carbon footprint. “Green hydrogen”, on the other hand, is produced using renewables and electrolysis, and “blue hydrogen” refers to the use of natural gas and carbon capture utilisation and storage.
The article also discussed “pink hydrogen”, which is produced using nuclear energy through electrolysis. According to Professor Rothman, “if you split water, you get hydrogen and oxygen, but splitting water takes energy, so what pink hydrogen is about is splitting water using energy that has come from nuclear… the whole system is low carbon, because there’s no carbon in water, but also the energy source is also very low carbon because it’s nuclear.”
Pink hydrogen has some significant backers, including EDF Energy, which is exploring the production and use of hydrogen at its planned 3.2-gigawatt nuclear power station, Sizewell C, in the UK. “At Sizewell C, we are exploring how we can produce and use hydrogen in several ways,” the firm’s website states. “Firstly, it could help lower emissions during construction of the power station, and secondly, once Sizewell C is operational, we hope to use some of the heat it generates (alongside electricity) to make hydrogen more efficiently.”
In conclusion, the article highlights the potential role of pink hydrogen in the decarbonisation of society and its significance as a low-carbon method of hydrogen production. UK-HyRES is committed to supporting and promoting research and innovation in hydrogen production, storage, and usage, and Professor Rothman’s interview serves as a reminder of the importance of finding low-carbon methods of producing hydrogen.
View on the full article on CNBC >>
This article was adapted from the original published on CNBC’s Sustainable Futures Feature by Anmar Frangoul.
REGIONAL ROADSHOWS
WARWICK | 02/02/23
SHEFFIELD | 06/03/23
WESTMINSTER | 17/03/23
During the second phase of the UK-HyRES coordination project, three Regional Roadshows were held to convene leading experts and industrial partners. The objective of these events was to deliberate the challenges and opportunities of the hydrogen energy industry and propose solutions towards achieving the UK’s aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
The one-day workshops brought together representatives from universities and various industries across each region, offering a platform for participants to share ideas and collaborate on finding solutions. The events were facilitated by expert facilitators, The Collective, who used the theory of change to drive tangible outcomes. Over 120 participants joined us across the three events, which were interactive and participatory.
PI Professor Tim Mays presents the proposed Hub vision at the Warwick Regional Roadshow 2023.
The discussions at the Roadshow events encompassed a broad range of topics, including the proposed research hub in hydrogen and alternative liquid fuels. One of the key themes was the storage of hydrogen, where participants explored different storage solutions such as compressed hydrogen gas, liquid hydrogen, and solid-state storage. The discussions highlighted the need to develop safe, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly methods for storing hydrogen. Participants also recognised the challenges associated with the high pressure requirements for compressed hydrogen gas and the low temperatures needed for liquid hydrogen, emphasising the need for innovative storage technologies and a deeper understanding of material behaviour.
The role of government policies in promoting the hydrogen energy industry was also deliberated, along with various methods of hydrogen production such as green synthesis, electrolysis, and bioprocesses. The participants evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of each method, emphasising the importance of developing low-cost, scalable, and green hydrogen production methods to make hydrogen energy accessible to a wider range of applications.
The end use of hydrogen was another key discussion topic, where the participants explored its various applications such as aerospace, heavy goods vehicles, agriculture, food production, and power generation. The discussions highlighted the challenges associated with the implementation of these technologies, emphasising the need to develop safe and reliable hydrogen fuel cell technologies and a supportive infrastructure, including hydrogen refuelling stations, to enable widespread deployment of hydrogen energy.
Participant discussions in Church House Westminster – Regional Roadshows 2023.
The workshops also covered cross-cutting themes such as safety, economics, environmental impact, and social acceptability. Participants emphasised the importance of conducting life cycle analyses to understand the environmental impact of hydrogen energy and the role of government policies in promoting sustainable and socially acceptable hydrogen energy solutions. Safety aspects were discussed in Sheffield, where Co-I Prof. Joan Cordiner led the discussion around hydrogen pipelines and the necessary safety considerations. In London, risk perception and arguments around public acceptance were highlighted, with social scientists arguing for the importance of the field to precede the radical changes needed in response to Net Zero.
In Sheffield, fruitful discussions around decarbonising the steel industry took place, where the participants deliberated the challenges of switching from monitoring hydrocarbon-fuelled forges to pure hydrogen-oxygen flames. Similarly, in London, the participants discussed how Glycerol, a useful substance in hydrogen production, can be sourced as waste from the paper industry.
To summarise, the UK-HyRES Regional Roadshow series was a valuable opportunity for experts to engage in meaningful discussions about the challenges and opportunities facing the hydrogen energy industry. The insights, proposals, and networks developed during the workshops will play a crucial role in shaping the future of clean energy and helping the UK achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The visualisations from Scriberia will follow shortly. We appreciate all the valuable discussions that took place.