The UK-HyRES Early Career Researcher (ECR) industrial visit took place across several locations in Surrey on April 27, 2026. The visit aimed to bridge the gap between academia and industry in the pursuit of sustainable hydrogen and alternative liquid technologies. It provided ECRs with the opportunity to deepen their industrial knowledge while fostering collaboration with new industry partners.
Ceres Power, Redhill
The day began at Ceres Power, an Imperial College London spin-off that has grown into the UK’s largest Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) company. Dr Jeffery De Vero, Senior Scientist, opened with a presentation on the company’s ongoing work, sparking discussions on the global supply and demand for SOFCs and the need for global collaboration when commercialising hydrogen technologies. This was followed by a tour of the manufacturing facilities, offering key insights into cell processing, stacking, and the importance of scalability in research. The session concluded with a networking lunch and a Q&A focused on the transition from academia to industry and the challenges of maintaining an R&D focus within spin-out companies.
Metrobus Crawley Depot
The second stop was the Metrobus Crawley Depot, home to one of the UK’s largest fleets of hydrogen-powered buses. The site features an Air Products refuelling station—the second largest globally—capable of refuelling a hydrogen-powered bus in just 6–8 minutes. Hector Wilson, Hydrogen Mobility Operation Lead for Air Products, provided an in-depth tour of the facility, covering the full lifecycle from hydrogen procurement and processing to storage and distribution. This sparked vital discussions regarding physical safety when dealing with hydrogen at such large levels. As well as this policy and the infrastructure investment required to support the transition to hydrogen vehicles, there was also a large group discussion. The visit concluded with a ride on one of the hydrogen buses.
Prof Qiong Cai’s lab, University of Surrey
The afternoon moved to the University of Surrey’s Stag Hill campus to visit Professor Qiong Cai, lead of the UK-HyRES “End Use” theme. The ECRs toured multiple labs, her team showcased their SOEC rig, lab-scale AEM electrolyser facilities and their new energy lab containing a NH3/NOx reactor rig.
Rhizo PTX, Surrey Research Park
The final stop was the University of Surrey’s Innovation Park to meet Dr Ash Stott, Dr Ben Kyffin, and Will Richards at Rhizo PTX. As a startup focused on producing green ammonia for the chemical and energy industries, Rhizo PTX provided a unique perspective on the entrepreneurial journey. The co-founders shared their experiences moving from academia to the startup world, focusing on how to pitch ideas to investors and the specific challenges of the hydrogen sector.
Conclusion
Overall, the visit successfully addressed both technical and non-technical themes. It underscored the vital intersection between research and industry, highlighting the necessity of collaboration in developing holistic, sustainable energy technologies for the future.
