Four projects linked to the University of Glasgow which are aiming to help Scotland reach net-zero through renewable hydrogen have won more than £1.3m in new funding from the Scottish Government.
First Minister Humza Yousaf announced last week that the Scottish Government would invest £7m from the national Hydrogen Innovation Scheme to support 32 new green initiatives.
The four funded projects bring researchers from the University’s James Watt School of Engineering and School of Chemistry together with partners in the public and private sectors to develop new approaches to hydrogen production, storage and distribution.
The funded projects are:
Advanced Decoupled Electrolysis Demonstrator Project (£744,000 in funding): Clyde Hydrogen Systems Ltd, a company recently spun out by researchers from the University’s School of Chemistry, will work to demonstrate novel technology for the innovative low-cost, efficient and sustainable production of renewable hydrogen.
An Accessible Green Hydrogen Test and Demonstration Facility for Scotland (£280,000 in funding): The funding, shared with TÜV SÜD, will enable the establishment of a Hydrogen Innovation Centre at the University of Glasgow to accelerate the development of hydrogen technologies.
The centre will provide a platform for academic research groups and commercial enterprises from across Scotland to take hydrogen technologies from experimental proof-of-concept through to small prototype stage.
Glasgow Airport Hydrogen Innovation Hub (£150,000 in funding): Researchers from the University will work with Glasgow Airport Ltd and Ikigai on a new feasibility study on establishing a hydrogen production, storage and distribution hub at Glasgow Airport.
Decoupled Electrolyser, Storage and Offshore Wind (£131,000 in funding): The DESOW project partners University researchers with colleagues at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the University of Strathclyde, Invinity Energy (UK) Ltd and Clyde Hydrogen Systems Ltd. They will collaborate to produce a feasibility study on using offshore wind to power a novel decoupled electrolyser to support hydrogen production, energy storage, and on demand electricity generation via vanadium redox flow batteries.
Mark Symes, Professor of Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Technology at the University of Glasgow’s School of Chemistry, said: “We’re delighted to have received the backing of the Scottish Government for these four projects, which amounts to more than 20% of the funding made available through the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme.
“Hydrogen is a promising zero-carbon fuel for a wide range of applications. Researchers from across the University are working on new ways to harness its potential as part of national and international efforts to achieve net-zero.
“Our success in this round of funding is a reflection of the University’s world-leading research across technologies for green hydrogen production, distribution and use, as well as the partnerships we’ve built with organisations and companies around the UK who are leading in commercial hydrogen development.
“The University of Glasgow is better-placed than ever to help make the west of Scotland a hub for pioneering hydrogen research and development.”
The Hydrogen Innovation Scheme was launched in June 2022 and is targeted at supporting innovation under the themes of renewable hydrogen production, hydrogen storage and distribution, and integration of hydrogen into Scotland’s energy system.
During the announcement of the funding at the at the All-Energy conference in Glasgow on Wednesday 10 May, the First Minister said: “We have committed £100 million, over this parliamentary session, to supporting the green hydrogen sector.
“Part of that funding has been allocated to the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme, which supports feasibility studies, technical demonstrations and testing facilities for new ideas about how to produce, store and distribute hydrogen.
“I am pleased to be able to confirm today that through this scheme, grants worth a total of £7 million have been allocated to 32 different projects.
“The projects cover a wide range of different areas – such as how to produce and store hydrogen on floating windfarms, and how to decarbonise agriculture and forestry work in rural areas. Together, they show the range of possible ways in which hydrogen can be produced, used and stored. They highlight the expertise and innovation that is already such an important part of the sector. And, of course, they demonstrate the scale of the opportunities that hydrogen can create.”