Professor Rachael Rothman, Co-Director at UK-HyRES, together with Dr Alex Newman and Dr Josh Kassongo, represented both the UK-HyRES cross-cutting Environmental theme (CT2) and the South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre (SYSC) at the Hydrogen Innovation Showcase held on the 2nd and 3rd July 2024 in the city of Manchester, UK.
The formal scientific proceedings started with a Research and Innovation Exhibition where in-person delegates could meander along various posters on display aimed to capture targeted research activities across the technical and cross-cutting themes of UK-HyRES.
A section highlight of the Showcase was the 3-Minute Rapid Fire Pitch Presentations where various key players along the hydrogen value chain presented comprehensive ongoing innovative solutions in their focus areas. This segment of the Showcase captured the essence, the ‘pulse’ as it were, of the hydrogen-based economy by presenting pertinent strategies and approaches currently deployed in the UK and internationally in response to critical research questions on hydrogen production and utilisation.
The Keynote address entitled “Hydrogen’s Role in Decarbonisation” by Mairi Gordon from Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK presented the global progressive work undertaken to reduce industrial emissions at Toyota. Mairi acknowledged the crucial enabling role assumed by the government to stimulate the decarbonisation effort. On the debate of hydrogen vehicles Vs electric vehicles, Mairi advocated the need for an array of mobility powertrains fuelled by various energy sources, including hydrogen. The mindset driving research at Toyota is to provide consumers with the power of choice among suitable alternatives, assured Mairi.
There were three parallel sessions, namely Make It, Move It, and Use It, each tackling specific known issues regarding production, storage and distribution and end use of hydrogen. In the Use It Parallel session, Prof Rothman presented South Yorkshire’s (SY) illustrious heritage of foundation industries such as steelworks, cement and ceramics. Preliminary work identified nodes of CO2 emissions and potential industrial hydrogen demand in SY with corresponding potential hydrogen production via either electrolysis or gasification.
Additionally, work carried out in the context of the SY energy system established that ambitions for green hydrogen production may be hampered by rising electricity costs generated from overloading. To address this challenge, various electrolyser configurations need to be evaluated for geographical suitability and economic fitness. Also, engagement between academia and the SY industry is essential to guide the formulation of region-specific decarbonisation solutions hinged on hydrogen production and integration into industrial processes. Prof Rothman reaffirmed the significant potential for hydrogen in the industrial deffossilisation in Sheffield and in SY at large.
The Showcase ended on a high note with Prof Tim Mays, UK-HyRES Hub Director, who thanked the various teams working on the basic research underpinning the delivery of the UK Hydrogen Strategy. While tactfully cautioning against an “evangelistic” attitude when engaging in novel research, Prof Mays underscored the need for tempered expectations and an open mind in exploring the boundaries of ground-breaking hydrogen research.
