United Kingdom

Britain stands on the cusp of a world-leading hydrogen revolution and one which we are almost uniquely positioned to take advantage of. With an extensive world-leading gas grid huge amounts of offshore wind resource and liquid energy markets there are few other places as well positioned as the UK to lead the international race to build a hydrogen economy. Published as part of Energy Networks Association’s Gas Goes Green programme Britain’s Hydrogen Network Plan will play a vital role in delivering the UK’s ambitions for hydrogen as set out in the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan For A Green Industrial Revolution.<br/>This Plan sets out how Britain’s gas network companies will enable 100% hydrogen to be transported for use in different sectors of the UK economy. It also identifies the wider actions needed to provide hydrogen production and storage showing how transitioning the gas networks to hydrogen will allow hydrogen to play a full role in achieving net zero in the hard to decarbonise sectors such as industry heavy transport and domestic heating saving an estimated 40 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. All five of Britain’s gas network companies responsible for owning and operating £24bn of critical national energy infrastructure are committing through this Plan to delivering this work. It forms a key part of their ambition to building the world’s first zero carbon gas grid here in the UK.<br/>Britain’s Hydrogen Network Plan is founded on four tenets that will underpin the role of Britain’s gas network infrastructure in a hydrogen economy. These tenets reflect the breadth and scale of the impact that the transformation of our gas networks will have. They will guide how gas network companies ensure people’s safety in a fast moving and changing energy system. They reflect how the companies will maintain security of supply to our homes and businesses as we move away from the natural gas that has been the bedrock of our energy system for half a century. They will support the public’s ability to choose the right technology so households and businesses can choose the low carbon technologies that are best suited to their needs. And they will deliver jobs and investment so the transition of our gas networks has a lasting and enduring economic impact in communities across the country.<br/>As we look to the future the exciting role that hydrogen has to play in delivering a net zero economy is becoming increasingly clear. We look forward to working closely with the customers we serve the Government and the wider energy industry to turn that ambition into reality.

Energy transition is a part of a much wider Grand Transition which is not all about energy. Energy transition cannot be achieved all at once or by any one actor. Relying only on better energy modelling and forecasting to guide successful transition will be fatal even in a data-rich era.<br/>It is timely for energy leaders to ask:<br/>Are global energy scenarios achieving their potential in opening up action on new energy futures?<br/>How do the Council’s World Energy Scenarios compare with global energy outlooks scenarios and normative visions used by others and what can we learn by contrasting the increasing richness of energy futures thinking?<br/>In anticipation of the 24th World Energy Congress the Council is refreshing its global energy foresight and updating its global scenarios narratives. The focus is on an ‘innovation twist to 2040’ and the use of scenarios to explore and navigate new exponential growth opportunities for accelerating successful energy transition in an era of epic and disruptive innovation.<br/>As a part of the refresh the Council has conducted a comparison study of global energy scenarios in order to test the continued plausibility relevance and challenge of its own existing scenario set the World Energy Scenarios 2016 launched at the 23rd World Energy Congress in Istanbul in 2016.<br/>By comparing the methods narratives and assumptions associated with a benchmarkable set of global energy futures initiatives and studies the Council seeks to provide our members with clearer understanding and new insights on energy transition while preparing them to better engage with leadership dialogues which pivot on visions of a new energy future.<br/>The review also provides an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and obstacles for utilising global energy scenarios to drive impact and the challenges in bridging agile and flexible qualitative storytelling with long term quantitative energy modelling."

Liquid hydrogen carriers are considered to be attractive hydrogen storage options because of their ease of integration into existing chemical transportation infrastructures when compared with liquid or compressed hydrogen. The development of such carriers forms part of the work of the International Energy Agency Task 32: Hydrogen-Based Energy Storage. Here we report the state-of-the-art for ammonia-based and liquid organic hydrogen carriers with a particular focus on the challenge of ensuring easily regenerable high-density hydrogen storage.

In this podcast David Ledesma talks to Martin Lambert Head of OIES Hydrogen Research about the key messages from the recent European Hydrogen Conference and how they fit with the ongoing research in OIES.   In particular they cover the heightened energy security concerns following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and hydrogen ambitions in the REPowerEU document published by the European Commission in early March 2002.   They then go on to talk about the growing realism about where hydrogen is more likely to play a role and some of the key challenges to be overcome. Addressing the challenges of creating business cases for use of hydrogen in specific sectors and for transporting it to customers the conversation also addresses the importance of hydrogen storage and the recognition that this area needs more focus both technically and commercially.   Finally they talk about the geopolitics of hydrogen and how energy security concerns may influence future development pathways.

The podcast can be found on their website

This White Paper has been commissioned by the UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell (H2FC) SUPERGEN Hub to examine the roles and potential benefits of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for heat provision in future low-carbon energy systems. The H2FC SUPERGEN Hub is an inclusive network encompassing the entire UK hydrogen and fuel cells research community with around 100 UK-based academics supported by key stakeholders from industry and government. It is funded by the UK EPSRC research council as part of the RCUK Energy Programme. This paper is the first of four that will be published over the lifetime of the Hub with the others examining: (i) low-carbon energy systems (including balancing renewable intermittency); (ii) low-carbon transport systems; and (iii) the provision of secure and affordable energy supplies for the future

• Hydrogen and fuel cells are part of the cost-optimal heating technology portfolio in long-term UK energy system scenarios.
• Fuel cell CHP is already being deployed commercially around the world.
• Hydrogen can be a zero-carbon alternative to natural gas. Most technologies that use natural gas can be adapted to use hydrogen and still provide the same level of service.
• Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies avoid some of the disadvantages of other low-carbon heating technologies.

The authors presented a basic mathematical model for estimating peak overpressure attained in vented explosions of hydrogen in a previous study (Sinha et al. [1]). The model focussed on idealized cases of hydrogen and was not applicable for realistic accidental scenarios like presence of obstacles initial turbulent mixture etc. In the present study the underlying framework of the model is reformulated to overcome these limitations. The flame shape computations are simplified. A more accurate and simpler formulation for venting is also introduced. Further by using simplifying assumptions and algebraic manipulations the detailed model consisting of several equations is reduced to a single equation with only four parameters. Two of these parameters depend only on fuel properties and a standard table provided in the Appendix can be used. Therefore to compute the overpressure only the two parameters based on enclosure geometry need to be evaluated. This greatly simplifies the model and calculation effort. Also since the focus of previous investigation was hydrogen properties of hydrocarbon fuels which are much more widely used were not accounted for. The present model also accounts for thermo-physical properties of hydrocarbons and provides table for fuel parameters to be used in the final equation for propane and methane. The model is also improved by addition of different sub-models to account for various realistic accidental scenarios. Moreover no adjustable parameters are used; the same equation is used for all conditions and all gases. Predictions from this simplified model are compared with experimentally measured values of overpressure for hydrogen and hydrocarbons and found to be in good agreement. First the results from experiments focussing on idealized conditions of uniformly mixed fuel in an empty enclosure under quiescent conditions are considered. Further the model applicability is also tested for realistic conditions of accidental explosion consisting of obstacles inside the enclosure non-uniform fuel distribution initial turbulent mixture etc. For all the cases tested the new simple model is found to produce reasonably good predictions.

Through the combustion of fossil fuels the transport sector is responsible for 20-30% of global CO2 emissions. We can support the net-zero one ambition by decarbonising transport modes using green hydrogen fuelled options – hydrogen generated from renewable energy sources such as offshore wind.<br/><br/>We have been working with clients across the hydrogen industry for several years specifically around the generation dispatch and use of hydrogen within energy systems. However interest is swiftly moving to wider hydrogen based solutions including within the fleet rail aviation and maritime sectors.<br/><br/>Our latest ‘Future of Energy’ series explores the opportunity for green fuelled hydrogen transport. We look at each industry in detail the barriers to uptake market conditions and look at how the transport industry could adapt and develop to embrace a net-zero future.

The H21 Leeds City Gate project is a study with the aim of determining the feasibility from both a technical and economic viewpoint of converting the existing natural gas network in Leeds one of the largest UK cities to 100% hydrogen. The project has been designed to minimise disruption for existing customers and to deliver heat at the same cost as current natural gas to customers. The project has shown that:

• The gas network has the correct capacity for such a conversion
• It can be converted incrementally with minimal disruption to customers
• Minimal new energy infrastructure will be required compared to alternatives
• The existing heat demand for Leeds can be met via steam methane reforming and salt cavern storage using technology in use around the world today

The project has provided costs for the scheme and has modelled these costs in a regulatory finance model. In addition the availability of low-cost bulk hydrogen in a gas network could revolutionise the potential for hydrogen vehicles and via fuel cells support a decentralised model of combined heat and power and localised power generation.

This report and any attachment is freely available on the ENA Smarter Networks Portal here. IGEM Members can download the report and any attachment directly by clicking on the pdf icon above.

Biofuels from biomass gasification are reviewed here and demonstrated to be an attractive option. Recent progress in gasification techniques and key generation pathways for biofuels production process design and integration and socio-environmental impacts of biofuel generation are discussed with the goal of investigating gasification-to-biofuels’ credentials as a sustainable and eco-friendly technology. The synthesis of important biofuels such as bio-methanol bio-ethanol and higher alcohols bio-dimethyl ether Fischer Tropsch fuels bio-methane bio-hydrogen and algae-based fuels is reviewed together with recent technologies catalysts and reactors. Significant thermodynamic studies for each biofuel are also examined. Syngas cleaning is demonstrated to be a critical issue for biofuel production and innovative pathways such as those employed by Choren Industrietechnik Germany and BioMCN the Netherlands are shown to allow efficient methanol generation. The conversion of syngas to FT transportation fuels such as gasoline and diesel over Co or Fe catalysts is reviewed and demonstrated to be a promising option for the future of biofuels. Bio-methane has emerged as a lucrative alternative for conventional transportation fuel with all the advantages of natural gas including a dense distribution trade and supply network. Routes to produce H2 are discussed though critical issues such as storage expensive production routes with low efficiencies remain. Algae-based fuels are in the research and development stage but are shown to have immense potential to become commercially important because of their capability to fix large amounts of CO₂ to rapidly grow in many environments and versatile end uses. However suitable process configurations resulting in optimal plant designs are crucial so detailed process integration is a powerful tool to optimize current and develop new processes. LCA and ethical issues are also discussed in brief. It is clear that the use of food crops as opposed to food wastes represents an area fraught with challenges which must be resolved on a case by case basis.

Our new independent report finds that hydrogen can play an important role in UK’s ambitious decarbonisation plan and boost its global industrial competitiveness.

Key insights from this new analysis include:

• New independent report from Aurora Energy Research shows that hydrogen can meet up to half of Great Britain’s (GB) final energy demand by 2050 providing an important pathway to reaching UK’s ambitious Net Zero targets.
• The report concludes that both blue hydrogen (produced from natural gas after reforming to remove carbon content) and green hydrogen (produced by using power to electrolyse water) are expected to play an important role providing up to 480TWh of hydrogen or c.45% of GB’s final energy demand by 2050.
• All Net Zero scenarios require substantial growth in low-carbon generation such as renewables and nuclear. Large-scale hydrogen adoption could help to integrate renewables into the power system by reducing the power sector requirement for flexibility during peak winter months and boosting revenues for clean power generators by c. £3bn per year by 2050.
• The rollout of hydrogen could accelerate green growth and enable the development of globally competitive low-carbon industrial clusters while utilising UK’s competitive advantage on carbon capture.
• In facilitating the identification of a cost-effective hydrogen pathway there are some low-regret options for Government to explore including the stimulation of hydrogen demand in key sectors the deployment of CCS in strategic locations and the standardisation of networks. These initiatives could form an important part of the UK Government’s post-COVID stimulus plan.

Read the full report on Aurora Energy Research Website

Scotland’s Climate Change Plan set an ambition for emissions from buildings to be near zero by 2050 and targets 35% of domestic and 70% of non-domestic buildings’ heat to be supplied using low carbon technologies by 2032. The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 set a new target for emissions to be net zero by 2045 with interim targets of 75% by 2030 and 90% by 2040. The update to the Climate Change Plan will be published at the end of 2020 to reflect these new targets. The Energy Efficient Scotland programme launched in May 2018 sets out a wide range of measures to promote low carbon heating alongside energy efficiency improvements in Scotland’s buildings. Meeting these targets will require almost all households in Scotland to change the way they heat their homes. It is therefore imperative to advance our understanding of the suitability of the available low carbon heating options across Scotland’s building stock.<br/><br/>The aim of this work is to assess the suitability of low carbon heating technologies in residential buildings in Scotland. The outputs generated through this work will form a key part of the evidence base on low carbon heat which the Scottish Government will use to further develop and strengthen Scotland’s low carbon heat policy in line with the increased level of ambition of achieving Net Zero by 2045.

Hydrogen is an emerging energy vector many components of which are mature technologies. Current hydrogen technology is already able to provide advantages over other energy vectors and many of its challenges are being actively addressed by research and development.<br/><br/>Hydrogen can be derived stored and converted through various processes each of which represents different levels of carbon intensity efficiency and end use functionality. Our latest five minute guide looks at this energy vector in brief including public perception transportation and storage as well as using hydrogen as a solution.

Initial assessment of Scotland’s opportunity to produce green hydrogen from offshore wind

Summary of Key Findings

• Scotland has an abundant offshore wind resource that has the potential to be a vital component in our net zero transition. If used to produce green hydrogen offshore wind can help abate the emissions of historically challenging sectors such as heating transport and industry.
• The production of green hydrogen from offshore wind can help overcome Scotland’s grid constraints and unlock a massive clean power generation resource creating a clean fuel for Scottish industry and households and a highly valuable commodity to supply rapidly growing UK and European markets.
• The primary export markets for Scottish green hydrogen are expected to be in Northern Europe (Germany Netherlands & Belgium). Strong competition to supply these markets is expected to come from green hydrogen produced from solar energy in Southern Europe and North Africa.
• Falling wind and electrolyser costs will enable green hydrogen production to be cost-competitive in the key transport and heat sectors by 2032. Strategic investment in hydrogen transportation and storage is essential to unlocking the economic opportunity for Scotland.
• Xodus’ analysis supports a long-term outlook of LCoH falling towards £2/kg with an estimated reference cost of £2.3 /kg in 2032 for hydrogen delivered to shore.
• Scotland has extensive port and pipeline infrastructure that can be repurposed for hydrogen export to the rest of UK and to Europe. Pipelines from the ‘90s are optimal for this purpose as they are likely to retain acceptable mechanical integrity and have a metallurgy better suited to hydrogen service. A more detailed assessment of export options should be performed to provide a firm foundation for early commercial green hydrogen projects.
• There is considerable hydrogen supply chain overlap with elements of parallel sectors most notably the oil and gas offshore wind and subsea engineering sectors. Scotland already has a mature hydrocarbon supply chain which is engaged in supporting green hydrogen. However a steady pipeline of early projects supported by a clear financeable route to market will be needed to secure this supply chain capability through to widescale commercial deployment.
• There are gaps in the Scottish supply chain in the areas of design manufacture and maintenance of hydrogen production storage and transportation systems. Support including apprenticeships will be needed to develop indigenous skills and capabilities in these areas.
• The development of green hydrogen from offshore wind has the potential to create high value jobs a significant proportion which are likely to be in remote rural/coastal communities located close to offshore wind resources. These can serve as an avenue for workers to redeploy and develop skills learned from oil and gas in line with Just Transition principles.

A Westminster Hall debate on the UK hydrogen economy has been scheduled for Thursday 17 December 2020 at 3.00pm. The debate will be led by Alexander Stafford MP. This House of Commons Library debate pack provides background information and press and parliamentary coverage of the issues.<br/><br/>The Government has legally binding targets under the Climate Change Act 2008 to reach ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050. Background information is available from the Library webpage on Climate Change: an overview.<br/><br/>In order to meet the net zero target the use of fossil fuels (without abatement such as carbon capture usage and storage) across the economy will need to be almost entirely phased out by 2050. Hydrogen gas is regarded as an energy option to help decarbonisation especially in relation to applications that may be more challenging to decarbonise. These applications include heating transport (including heavy goods shipping and aviation) and some industrial processes.<br/><br/>The Government has legally binding targets under the Climate Change Act 2008 to reach ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050. Background information is available from the Library webpage on Climate Change: an overview.<br/><br/>In order to meet the net zero target the use of fossil fuels (without abatement such as carbon capture usage and storage) across the economy will need to be almost entirely phased out by 2050. Hydrogen gas is regarded as an energy option to help decarbonisation especially in relation to applications that may be more challenging to decarbonise. These applications include heating transport (including heavy goods shipping and aviation) and some industrial processes.

A potential enabler of a low carbon economy is the energy vector hydrogen. However issues associated with hydrogen storage and distribution are currently a barrier for its implementation. Hence other indirect storage media such as ammonia and methanol are currently being considered. Of these ammonia is a carbon free carrier which offers high energy density; higher than compressed air. Hence it is proposed that ammonia with its established transportation network and high flexibility could provide a practical next generation system for energy transportation storage and use for power generation. Therefore this review highlights previous influential studies and ongoing research to use this chemical as a viable energy vector for power applications emphasizing the challenges that each of the reviewed technologies faces before implementation and commercial deployment is achieved at a larger scale. The review covers technologies such as ammonia in cycles either for power or CO₂ removal fuel cells reciprocating engines gas turbines and propulsion technologies with emphasis on the challenges of using the molecule and current understanding of the fundamental combustion patterns of ammonia blends.

At present aero engine fault diagnosis is mainly based on the steady-state condition at the cruise phase and the gas path parameters in the entire flight process are not effectively used. At the same time high quality steady-state monitoring measurements are not always available and as a result the accuracy of diagnosis might be affected. There is a recognized need for real-time performance diagnosis of aero engines operating under transient conditions which can improve their condition-based maintenance. Recent studies have demonstrated the capability of the sequential model-based diagnostic method to predict accurately and efficiently the degradation of industrial gas turbines under steady-state conditions. Nevertheless incorporating real-time data for fault detection of aero engines that operate in dynamic conditions is a more challenging task. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the performance of the sequential diagnostic method when it is applied to aero engines that operate under transient conditions while there is a variation in the bypass ratio and the heat soakage effects are taken into consideration. This study provides a novel approach for quantifying component degradation such as fouling and erosion by using an adapted version of the sequential diagnostic method. The research presented here confirms that the proposed method could be applied to aero engine fault diagnosis under both steady-state and dynamic conditions in real-time. In addition the economic impact of engine degradation on fuel cost and payload revenue is evaluated when the engine under investigation is using hydrogen. The proposed method demonstrated promising diagnostic results where the maximum prediction errors for steady state and transient conditions are less than 0.006% and 0.016% respectively. The comparison of the proposed method to a benchmark diagnostic method revealed a 15% improvement in accuracy which can have great benefit when considering that the cost attributed to degradation can reach up to $702585 for 6000 flight cycles of a hydrogen powered aircraft fleet. This study provides an opportunity to improve our understanding of aero engine fault diagnosis in order to improve engine reliability availability and efficiency by online health monitoring.

HyNet North West is a significant clean growth opportunity for the UK. It is a low cost deliverable project which meets the major challenges of reducing carbon emissions from industry domestic heat and transport.<br/>HyNet North West is based on the production of hydrogen from natural gas. It includes the development of a new hydrogen pipeline; and the creation of the UK’s first carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure. CCS is a vital technology to achieve the widespread emissions savings needed to meet the 2050 carbon reduction targets.<br/>Accelerating the development and deployment of hydrogen technologies and CCS through HyNet North West positions the UK strongly for skills export in a global low carbon economy.<br/>The North West is ideally placed to lead HyNet. The region has a history of bold innovation and today clean energy initiatives are thriving. On a practical level the concentration of industry existing technical skill base and unique geology means the region offers an unparalleled opportunity for a project of this kind.<br/>The new infrastructure built by HyNet is readily extendable beyond the initial project and provides a replicable model for similar programmes across the UK<br/>Contains Vision statement 2 leaflets a presentation and a summary report which are all stored as supplements.

The establishment of a strong hydrogen economy nationally and locally is a very real opportunity and one that is rapidly becoming within reach.<br/>This report presents a vision for the role that hydrogen could play specifically in South Yorkshire (UK) to help meet carbon reduction targets and contribute to the health and economic prosperity of the region.<br/>It also highlights five themes as levers of growth and explores potential actions and collaborations as well as a list of ambitions for future hydrogen projects. Hydrogen can be used in transport industry and heating. Synergies need exploring for example the by-product of oxygen from hydrogen production can be used by industry. Aggregating opportunities is important in developing a hydrogen economy.<br/>The report concludes with a call to action to build momentum for the South Yorkshire hydrogen economy and accelerate the drive to net zero emissions particularly in the most challenging sectors.<br/>This South Yorkshire specific report supports our global thought piece Establishing a Hydrogen Economy: The future of energy 2035

Pressure is mounting on the natural gas and LNG community to reduce methane emissions and this is most urgent in EU countries following the adoption of much tougher greenhouse gas reduction targets of 2030 and the publication of the European Commission’s Methane Strategy. With rapidly declining indigenous EU production and therefore rising import dependence there are increasing calls for emissions from imported pipeline gas and LNG to be quantified and based on actual measurements as opposed to standard emission factors. The Methane Strategy promises to be a significant milestone in that process. Companies which are supplying (or intending to supply) natural gas to the EU – the largest global import market for pipeline gas and a very significant market for LNG – would be well advised to pay close attention to how the regulation of methane emissions is unfolding and to make an immediate and positive response. Failure to do so could accelerate the demise of natural gas in European energy balances faster than would otherwise have been the case and shorten the time available for transition to decarbonised gases – specifically hydrogen – using existing natural gas infrastructure.<br/>This EU initiative will (and arguably already has) attracted attention from non-EU governments and companies involved in global gas and LNG trade. We have already seen deliveries of `carbon neutral’ LNG cargos to Asia as well as a long-term LNG contract in which the greenhouse gas content of cargos will be measured reported and verified (MRV) according to an agreed methodology. Natural gas and LNG exports if based on these standards or those set out in the EU Methane Strategy may be able to command premium prices from buyers eager to demonstrate their own GHG reduction credentials to governments customers and civil society.

Green hydrogen has been known in the UK since Robert Boyle described flammable air in 1671. This paper describes how green hydrogen has become a new priority for the UK in 2021 beginning to replace fossil hydrogen production exceeding 1 Mte in 2021 when the British Government started to inject significant funding into green hydrogen sources though much less than the USA Germany Japan and China. Recent progress in the UK was initiated in 2008 when the first UK green hydrogen station opened in Birmingham University refuelling 5 hydrogen fuel cell battery electric vehicles (HFCBEVs) for the 50 PhD chemical engineering students that arrived in 2009. Only 10 kg/day were required in contrast to the first large green ITM power station delivering almost 600 kg/day of green hydrogen that opened in the UK in Tyseley in July 2021. The first question asked in this paper is: ‘What do you mean Green?’. Then the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Birmingham is described with the key innovations defined. Progress in UK green hydrogen and fuel cell introduction is then recounted. The remarks of Elon Musk about this ‘Fool Cell; Mind bogglingly stupid’ technology are analysed to show that he is incorrect. The immediate deployment of green hydrogen stations around the UK has been planned. Another century may be needed to make green hydrogen dominant across the country yet we will be on the correct path once a profitable supply chain is established in 2022.

Integrated energy systems have become an area of interest as with growing energy demand globally means of producing sustainable energy from flexible sources is key to meet future energy demands while keeping carbon emissions low. Hydrogen is a potential solution for providing flexibility in the future energy mix as it does not emit harmful gases when used as an energy source. In this paper an integrated energy system including hydrogen as an energy vector and hydrogen storage is studied. The system is used to assess the behaviour of a hydrogen production and storage system under different renewable energy generation profiles. Two case studies are considered: a high renewable energy generation scenario and a low renewable energy generation scenario. These provide an understanding of how different levels of renewable penetration may affect the operation of an electrolyser and a fuel cell against an electricity import/export pricing regime. The mathematical model of the system under study is represented using the energy hub approach with system optimisation through linear programming conducted via MATLAB to minimise the total operational cost. The work undertaken showcases the unique interactions the fuel cell has with the hydrogen storage system in terms of minimising grid electricity import and exporting stored hydrogen as electricity back to the grid when export prices are competitive.

The anticipated upscaling of hydrogen energy applications will involve the storage and transport of hydrogen in a cryogenic state. Understanding the potential hazard arising from small leaks in pressurized storage and transport systems is needed to assist safety analysis and development of mitigation measures. The current knowledge of the ignited pressurized cryogenic hydrogen jet flame is limited. Large eddy simulation (LES) with detailed hydrogen chemistry is applied for the reacting flow. The effects of ignition locations are considered and the initial development of the transient flame kernel from the ignition hot spots is analysed. The flame structures namely side flames and envelop flames are observed in the study which are due to the complex interactions between turbulence fuel-air mixing at cryogenic temperature and chemical reactions.

A major transformation and redesign of the global energy system is required towards decarbonisation and to achieve the Paris Agreement targets. This Grand Transition is a complex pressing issue where global joint efforts and system solutions are essential; with hydrogen being one of them.<br/>Hydrogen has the potential to be a powerful effective accelerator towards a low-carbon energy system capable of addressing multiple energy challenges: from facilitating the massive integration of renewables and decarbonisation of energy production to energy transportation in a zero-carbon energy economy to electrification of end uses.

High performing proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) that can operate at low relative humidity is a continuing technical challenge for PEMFC developers. In this work micro-patterned membranes are demonstrated at the cathode side by solution casting techniques using stainless steel moulds with laser-imposed periodic surface structures (LIPSS). Three types of patterns lotus lines and sharklet are investigated for their influence on the PEMFC power performance at varying humidity conditions. The experimental results show that the cathode electrolyte pattern in all cases enhances the fuel cell power performance at 100% relative humidity (RH). However only the sharklet pattern exhibits a significant improvement at 25% RH where a peak power density of 450 mW cm⁻² is recorded compared with 150 mW cm⁻² of the conventional flat membrane. The improvements are explored based on high-frequency resistance electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) and hydrogen crossover by in situ membrane electrode assembly (MEA) testing.

Hydrogen is expected to play a critical role in the move to a net-zero economy. However large-scale deployment is still in its infancy and there is still much to be done before we can blend hydrogen in large volumes into gas networks and ramp up the production that is required to meet demands of the energy transport and industry sectors. KTN Global Alliance will host two webinars to explore these challenges and opportunities in hydrogen blending on the 2nd and 3rd March 2021.



Exciting pilot projects are being conducted and explored in the UK Canada and US states such as California to determine the technical feasibility of blending hydrogen into existing natural gas systems. Whilst the deployment of hydrogen is in its early stages there is increasing interest around permitting significant percentage blends of hydrogen into gas networks which would enable the carbon intensity of gas supplies to be reduced creating a new demand for hydrogen and with the use of separation and purification technologies downstream support the transportation of pure hydrogen to markets.

Gaps in codes and standards need to be addressed to enable adoption and there may be opportunities for international collaboration and harmonisation to ensure that best practices are shared globally and to facilitate the growth of trade and export markets. There is an opportunity for the UK Canada and US three G7 countries to work together and show market making leadership in key enabling regulation for the new hydrogen economy.



Delivered by KTN Global Alliance on behalf of the British Consulate-General in Vancouver and the UK Science and Innovation Network in Canada and the US these two webinars will showcase hydrogen blending pilot projects in the UK Canada and California highlighting challenges and opportunities with regard to standards development for hydrogen blending and supporting further transatlantic collaboration in this area. The events also form part of the UK’s international engagement to build momentum towards a successful outcome at COP26 the UN climate summit that the UK will host in Glasgow in November 2021. The webinars will bring together experts from industry academia and policy from the UK Canada and California. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and interact using Mentimeter.











Part 1 Highlights and Perspectives from the UK can be found here.