Economic

Understanding where hydrogen creates real value

A process can be technically successful and still fail because it is too expensive, difficult to scale or poorly matched to its market. The Economic theme examines costs and value across hydrogen and alternative-fuel pathways, from production and purification to storage, distribution and end use. By testing how results change with scale, energy prices, operating patterns and infrastructure, the research helps identify where technical progress can unlock genuine value and where a different application or business model may be needed.

0 1

Finding where electrolysers make economic sense

PC1.1 – Electrolyser costs and business cases for a range of configurations

Project lead: Prof Paul Dodds, University College London

Supports: Production; Storage and Distribution; End Use

This project examines the costs and business cases associated with different electrolyser configurations. It considers options such as dedicated renewable generation supplying industrial sites and the co-production of electricity and hydrogen using high-temperature electrolysis. By testing how costs change with scale, electricity supply, operating patterns and infrastructure, the research helps identify where electrolyser deployment could create genuine system value and where economic barriers remain.

What this helps us decide: Whether technical performance translates into a credible business case, and which system choices dominate cost.

0 2

Testing the business case for greener ammonia

PC1.2 – Green ammonia synthesis as an alternative to the Haber-Bosch process

Project lead: Prof Paul Dodds, University College London

Supports: Alternative Liquid Fuels; Production

This project compares the economics of electrochemical green-ammonia synthesis with conventional Haber-Bosch production using green hydrogen. It will examine how catalyst performance, energy demand, scale and operating assumptions affect competitiveness. The analysis helps show whether direct electrochemical synthesis could create meaningful economic value, which technical improvements matter most and where established production routes may remain more credible.

What this helps us decide: Whether a lower-carbon synthesis route is commercially competitive and which technical gains materially change cost.

0 3

Reducing the hidden costs of hydrogen quality and pressure

PC1.3 – Value of improved compression and purification technologies

Project lead: Prof Paul Dodds, University College London

Supports: Storage and Distribution; End Use

Hydrogen for applications such as fuel-cell vehicles must meet demanding purity and pressure requirements. This project examines the system value of better compression and purification technologies, including how improvements could affect infrastructure, operating cost and final hydrogen price. It helps establish where technical innovation in these supporting processes would create the greatest benefit across the wider pathway.

What this helps us decide: How much compression and purification add to system cost, and where improved technologies deliver real value.