Publications

The strategic importance of hydrogen has gained significant recognition as nations across the world have committed to achieving net zero. Here in the UK there’s a widespread consensus that hydrogen is critical to achieving our net zero target. This commitment culminated in the launch of the UK’s first Hydrogen Strategy and has been reaffirmed by Chris Skidmore’s Independent Review of Net Zero. Both these documents highlight hydrogen’s importance not only to net zero but growing the UK industrial base1 . Analysis by Hydrogen UK estimates up to 20000 jobs could be created by 2030 contributing £26bn in cumulative GVA2. These economic benefits flow from all areas of the value chain ranging from production storage network development and off-taker markets. However with large scale projects still to take final investment decisions current volumes of low-carbon hydrogen produced and consumed fall well below the government’s 2030 ambitions. Encouragingly the UK has a positive track record of deploying low carbon technologies. The combination of the UK’s world leading policies and incentive schemes alongside our vibrant RD&I and engineering environment has enabled rapid deployment of technologies like offshore wind and electric vehicles. Yet despite being world leaders in deployment early opportunities for regional supply chain growth and job creation were not fully realised and taken advantage of from inception. The hydrogen sector is therefore at a tipping point. To capitalise on the economic opportunity hydrogen offers the UK must learn from prior technology deployments and build a strong domestic hydrogen supply chain in parallel to championing deployment. This report delivers on a recommendation from the Hydrogen Champion Report which encouraged industry to create an industry led supply chain strategy3 . With Hydrogen UK steering the work on behalf of the UK hydrogen industry this study focusses on identifying the actions needed to mature a local supply chain that can support the initial deployment of hydrogen technologies across the value chain. The report is segmented into two sections. The first section outlines a voluntary ambition for local content from industry alongside the potential intervention mechanisms needed to achieve the ambition. The second section exploresthe challenges companies across the hydrogen value chain face in maximising UK supply chain opportunities.

This report can be found on Hydrogen UK's website.

Hydrogen primarily produced from steam methane reforming plays a crucial role in oil refining and provides a solution for the oil and gas industry's long-term energy transition by reducing CO2 emissions. This paper examines hydrogen’s role in this transition. Firstly experiences from oil and gas exploration including in-situ gasification can be leveraged for hydrogen production from subsurface natural hydrogen reservoirs. The produced hydrogen can serve as fuel for generating steam and heat for thermal oil recovery. Secondly hydrogen can be blended into gas for pipeline transportation and used as an alternative fuel for oil and gas hauling trucks. Additionally hydrogen can be stored underground in depleted gas fields. Lastly oilfield water can be utilized for hydrogen production using geothermal energy from subsurface oil and gas fields. Scaling up hydrogen production faces challenges such as shared use of oil and gas infrastructures increased carbon tax for promoting blue hydrogen and the introduction of financial incentives for hydrogen production and consumption hydrogen leakage prevention and detection.

A unique hydrogen leak detection strategy is the use of powerless indicator wraps for fittings and other pneumatic elements within a hydrogen facility. One transduction mechanism of such indicators is a color change that is induced by a reaction between a pigment and released hydrogen. This is an effective way to detect hydrogen leaks and to identify their source before they become a safety event however this technology requires visual (manual) inspection to identify a color change or leak. One improvement in this strategy would be to improve the communication of the visual response to an end-user. Element One (E1) has previously developed and introduced DetecTape® a self-fusing silicone non-reversible hydrogen leak detecting tape for application to potential leak sites in hydrogen piping valves and fittings and it has been successfully commercialized with excellent feedback. Element One’s sensors can be fabricated using either pigments or thin films which both change color and conductivity. Neither change requires an external power source. The conductivity change may be communicated as a wireless transmission such as passive radio frequency identification devices (RFID) to an appropriate receiving system where it may be remotely monitored to achieve higher levels of safety and reliability at low cost. Element One will report on its recent progress in the commercial development of remotely monitored hydrogen leak detection using several wireless protocols including passive RFID.

During the last decade developing more sustainable transportation modes has become a primary objective for car manufacturers and governments around the world to mitigate environmental issues such as climate change the continuous increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy depletion. The use of hydrogen fuel cell technology as a source of energy in electric vehicles is considered an emerging and promising technology that could contribute significantly to addressing these environmental issues. In this study the effects of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Battery Electric Vehicles (HFCBEVs) on global GHG emissions compared to other technologies such as BEVs were determined based on different relevant factors such as predicted sales for 2050 (the result of the developed prediction model) estimated daily traveling distance estimated future average global electricity emission factors future average Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) emission factors future global hydrogen production emission factors and future average HFCBEV emission factors. As a result the annual GHG emissions produced by passenger cars that are expected to be sold in 2050 were determined by considering BEV sales in the first scenario and HFCBEV replacement in the second scenario. The results indicate that the environmental benefits of HFCBEVs are expected to increase over time compared to those of BEVs due to the eco-friendly methods that are expected to be used in hydrogen production in the future. For instance in 2021 HFCBEVs could produce more GHG emissions than BEVs by 54.9% per km of travel whereas in 2050 BEVs could produce more GHG emissions than HFCBEVs by 225% per km of travel.

Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) have received significant attention in recent times due to various advantageous features such as high energy efficiency zero emissions and extended driving range. However FCEVs have some drawbacks including high production costs; limited hydrogen refueling infrastructure; and the complexity of converters controllers and method execution. To address these challenges smart energy management involving appropriate converters controllers intelligent algorithms and optimizations is essential for enhancing the effectiveness of FCEVs towards sustainable transportation. Therefore this paper presents emerging energy management strategies for FCEVs to improve energy efficiency system reliability and overall performance. In this context a comprehensive analytical assessment is conducted to examine several factors including research trends types of publications citation analysis keyword occurrences collaborations influential authors and the countries conducting research in this area. Moreover emerging energy management schemes are investigated with a focus on intelligent algorithms optimization techniques and control strategies highlighting contributions key findings issues and research gaps. Furthermore the state-of-the-art research domains of FCEVs are thoroughly discussed in order to explore various research domains relevant outcomes and existing challenges. Additionally this paper addresses open issues and challenges and offers valuable future research opportunities for advancing FCEVs emphasizing the importance of suitable algorithms controllers and optimization techniques to enhance their performance. The outcomes and key findings of this review will be helpful for researchers and automotive engineers in developing advanced methods control schemes and optimization strategies for FCEVs towards greener transportation.

In 2015 during the lead up to the Paris Climate Agreement the United States set forth a Nationally Determined Contribution that outlines national goals for greenhouse gas emission reductions. It was not until 2021 that the US put forth a long-term strategy that lays out the pathway to reach these goals. The US long-term strategy lays the framework for research needs to meet the greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and incentivizes industry to meet the goals using a variety of policies. The five US long term strategy core elements are to decarbonize electricity electrify end uses and switch to clean fuels cut energy waste reduce methane and other non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions and to scale up carbon dioxide removal. Implementation of the long term strategy has generally been funded by tax incentives and government grants that were approved as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Political headwinds societal Not in My Backyard resistance long-term economic funding cumbersome permitting requirements and incentives vs. taxation debate are significant policy/nontechnical hurdles. Technical challenges remain regarding effective energy efficiency implementation the use of hydrogen as a fuel cost effective carbon emission treatment nuclear energy expansion renewables expansion and grid integration biofuel integration efficient and safe energy storage and electrical grid adequacy/expansion. This review article condenses the multitude of technical and policy issues facing the US long-term strategy providing readers with an overview of the extent and magnitude of the challenges while outlining possible solutions.

This study presents and analyses three plant configurations of the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology. All the solutions are based on using the OTEC system to obtain hydrogen through an electrolyzer. The hydrogen is then compressed and stored. In the first and second layouts a Rankine cycle with ammonia and a mixture of water and ethanol is utilised respectively; in the third layout a Kalina cycle is considered. In each configuration the OTEC cycle is coupled with a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer and the compression and storage system. The water entering the electrolyzer is pre-heated to 80 ◦C by a solar collector. Energy exergy and exergo-economic studies were conducted to evaluate the cost of producing compressing and storing hydrogen. A parametric analysis examining the main design constraints was performed based on the temperature range of the condenser the mass flow ratio of hot and cold resource flows and the mass fraction. The maximum value of the overall exergy efficiency calculated is equal to 93.5% for the Kalina cycle and 0.524 €/kWh is the minimum cost of hydrogen production achieved. The results were compared with typical data from other hydrogen production systems.

This review presents a broad exploration of the techno economic evaluation of different technologies utilized in the production of hydrogen from both renewable and non-renewable sources. These encompass methods ranging from extracting hydrogen from fossil fuels or biomass to employing microbial processes electrolysis of water and various thermochemical cycles. A rigorous techno-economic evaluation of hydrogen production technologies can provide a critical cost comparison for future resource allocation priorities and trajectory. This evaluation will have a great impact on future hydrogen production projects and the development of new approaches to reduce overall production costs and make it a cheaper fuel. Different methods of hydrogen production exhibit varying efficiencies and costs: fast pyrolysis can yield up to 45% hydrogen at a cost range of $1.25 to $2.20 per kilogram while gasification operating at temperatures exceeding 750°C faces challenges such as limited small-scale coal production and issues with tar formation in biomass. Steam methane reforming which constitutes 48% of hydrogen output experiences cost fluctuations depending on scale whereas auto-thermal reforming offers higher efficiency albeit at increased costs. Chemical looping shows promise in emissions reduction but encounters economic hurdles and sorptionenhanced reforming achieves over 90% hydrogen but requires CO2 storage. Renewable liquid reforming proves effective and economically viable. Additionally electrolysis methods like PEM aim for costs below $2.30 per kilogram while dark fermentation though cost-effective grapples with efficiency challenges. Overcoming technical economic barriers and managing electricity costs remains crucial for optimizing hydrogen production in a low-carbon future necessitating ongoing research and development efforts.

Currently modern hydrogen technologies due to their low or zero emissions constitute one of the key elements of energy transformation and sustainable development. The growing interest in hydrogen is driven by the European climate policy aimed at limiting the use of fossil fuels for energy purposes. Although not all opinions regarding the technical and economic potential of hydrogen energy are positive many prepared forecasts and analyses show its prospective importance in several areas of the economy. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of modern materials current hydrogen technologies and strategies and show the opportunities problems and challenges Poland faces in the context of necessary energy transformation. The work describes the latest trends in the production transportation storage and use of hydrogen. The environmental social and economic aspects of the use of green hydrogen were discussed in addition to the challenges and expectations for the future in the field of hydrogen technologies. The main goals of the development of the hydrogen economy in Poland and the directions of actions necessary to achieve them were also presented. It was found that the existence of the EU CO2 emissions allowance trading system has a significant impact on the costs of hydrogen production. Furthermore the production of green hydrogen will become economically justified as the costs of energy obtained from renewable sources decrease and the costs of electrolysers decline. However the realisation of this vision depends on the progress of scientific research and technical innovations that will reduce the costs of hydrogen production. Government support mechanisms for the development of hydrogen infrastructure and technologies will also be of key importance.

In recent years traditional fossil fuels such as coal oil and natural gas have historically dominated various applications but there has been a growing shift towards cleaner alternatives. Among these alternatives hydrogen (H2) stands out as a highly promising substitute for all other conventional fuels. Today hydrogen (H2) is actively taking on a significant role in displacing traditional fuel sources. The utilization of hydrogen in gas turbine (GT) power generation offers a significant advantage in terms of lower greenhouse gas emissions. The performance of hydrogen-based gas turbines is influenced by a range of variables including ambient conditions (temperature and pressure) component efficiency operational parameters and other factors. Additionally incorporating an intercooler into the gas turbine system yields several advantages such as reducing compression work and maintaining power and efficiency. Many scholars and researchers have conducted comprehensive investigations into the components mentioned above within context of gas turbines (GTs). This study provides an extensive examination of the research conducted on hydrogen-powered gas turbine and intercooler with employed different methods and techniques with a specific emphasis on the different case studies of a hydrogen gas turbine and intercooler. Moreover this study not only examined the current state of research on hydrogen-powered gas turbine and intercooler but also covered its influence by offering the effective recommendations and insightful for guiding for future research in this field.