United Kingdom

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.It is timely for energy leaders to ask:Are global energy scenarios achieving their potential in opening up action on new energy futures?How do the Council’s World Energy Scena Read More

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 wit Read More

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 Read More

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 governm Read More

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 computa Read More

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.We have been working with clients across the hydrogen industry for several years specifically around the generation dispatch and use of hydrogen within e Read More

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 suc Read More

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 Read More

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 concl Read More

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 publish Read More

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.Hydrogen can be derived stored and converted through various processes each of which represents different levels of carbon intensity efficiency and end use functionality. Read More

Initial assessment of Scotland’s opportunity to produce green hydrogen from offshore windSummary of Key FindingsScotland 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 Read More

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.The Government has legally binding targets under the Climate Change Act 2008 to reach ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050. Background Read More

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 transport Read More

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 conditio Read More

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.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 technol Read More

The establishment of a strong hydrogen economy nationally and locally is a very real opportunity and one that is rapidly becoming within reach.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.It also highlights five themes as levers of growth and explores potential actions and collaborations as well a Read More

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 Read More

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 w Read More

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 Read More

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 hyd Read More

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.Hydrogen has the potential to be a powerful effective accelerator towards a low-carbon energy system capable of addressing multiple energy challenges: from facili Read More

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 PEMF Read More

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 t Read More

Based on data collection carried out between October and December 2020 and the testing of emerging findings with the Council’s regional communities during a series of digital workshops held during February 2021 the report has shownEnergy leaders’ perceptions of areas of risk opportunity and priorities for action have radically changed over the last 12 months. While economic turbulence stemming from the ongoing reverberations of COVID-19 is the Read More