Uk-HyRES FEATURED IN THE CHEMICAL ENGINEERS SPECIAL ISSUE ON ENERGY
The UK-HyRES project was recently discussed in The Chemical Engineer magazine. Authored by the editor, Adam Duckett and reporter Amanda Jasi, the project was discussed as part of a special issue on Energy, with some fantastic accompanying articles. Read the article below and see the full issue by following the link.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERS LEAD EFFORTS TO UNBLOCK UK HYDROGEN USE
Article by Adam Duckett and Amanda Jasi (The Chemical Engineer)
Project comes as UK sets out legislation to boost energy security with hydrogen, CCS and fresh oil
CHEMICAL engineers are investigating how the UK could increase its use of hydrogen and alternative liquid fuels as part of the nation’s commitment to net zero by 2050.
Tim Mays from the University of Bath will lead a research consortium that aims to map and solve the research challenges blocking wider uptake of low carbon fuels in the UK. Mays is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment at Bath. He said: “A thriving, low carbon hydrogen sector is essential for the Government’s plans to build back better, with a cleaner, greener energy system. Large amounts of low carbon hydrogen and alternative liquid fuels such as ammonia will be needed, which must be stored and transported to points of use. Much research is required, and we will work collaboratively across multiple disciplines to help meet these challenges.”
The team will focus on the potential of fuels to decarbonise transport; electricity generation; domestic and industrial heating; and high CO2-emitting industries such as cement, fertilisers, glass, and steel. According to the University of Sheffield, a consortium partner, these areas account for up to 90% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrating the project’s “enormous” potential impact.
Using the theory of change
Mays’ team will engage stakeholders and use a theory-of-change process to map the greatest research challenges and potential solutions. Theory of change is a rigorous, participatory process in which groups and stakeholders identify the conditions they believe have to unfold to allow long-term goals to be met.
The consortium said that there is strong engagement from industry stakeholders and high-profile project partners including ITM Power, the Health and Safety Executive, Siemens Energy, and Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association.
Transport; electricity generation; domestic and industrial heating; and high CO2-emitting industries such as cement, fertilisers, glass, and steel account for up to 90% of UK greenhouse gas emissions.
Co-investigators include Rachael Rothman, Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, and Shanwen Tao, Professor of Chemical Engineering & Sustainable Processes at University of Warwick.
Sara Walker, Professor of Energy at Newcastle University, is leading a second project focusing on the role of these fuels in the net zero transition, in providing connectivity and flexibility across the energy system. Walker’s work will analyse the landscape, challenges, and demand for low-carbon fuels to identify viable investment priorities. It is expected to deliver a fundamental shift in critical analysis of hydrogen’s role in the energy landscape.
Walker’s team will work with stakeholders to gain new perspectives on future hydrogen pathways.
Over six months, the research coordinators are expected to build high-impact, multidisciplinary, multi-site teams, with the aim of developing longer-term research alliances, as well as two parallel national centres of excellence at Bath and Sheffield. One centre will be focused on research challenges, and the other on systems integration.
The Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) is providing the hydrogen projects with a total of £615,000 (US$769,800) over the six-month research period, which began on 1 April.
Kedar Pandya, Director for Cross-Council Programmes at EPSRC said: “Over the next six months, the hydrogen research coordinators will work across the UK to build an understanding, and galvanise expertise, in research and systems integration.
“The focused, multi-stakeholder plan they create will support the consideration of hydrogen as a key component of the UK’s energy mix and inform EPSRC’s future plans for an integrated, ambitious research and innovation programme working across the hydrogen value chain and its major use
UK energy legislation
Hydrogen is at the centre of the Government’s plans to achieve net zero and boost energy security. In May, it outlined a series of new bills that will impact the rollout of hydrogen projects, CCS, and heat networks.
The Energy Security Bill will deliver on the commitments of the Energy Security Strategy that the Government outlined in April. This involves producing more oil and gas, doubling its target for hydrogen production to 10 GW by 2030, with at least half produced via electrolysis powered by offshore wind, and approving up to eight new nuclear reactors. The Government aims for its new bill to attract billions in private investment and support tens of thousands of new, skilled jobs across the UK.
Plans for new oil and gas have been criticised given the commitments made at COP26 last year and the warning from the International Energy Agency that no new oil and gas developments can take place if the world is to limit warming to no more than 1.5°C.
No new oil and gas can take place if the world is to limit warming to no more than 1.5°C
BP is among the big energy companies that responded to the UK Business Minister Kwasi Kwarteng calling for new oil and gas investments. It follows pressure from opposition parties and the public for the UK’s Conservative Government to impose a windfall tax on the record profits that have been announced by major energy companies. BP announced it will invest £18bn in UK energy by 2030, including new exploration; what it described as “lower emission” oil and gas projects; and electrification projects to reduce operational emissions. It also committed to invest in hydrogen, CCS and renewables. Eni too has come forward to say it will invest €2.5bn in the UK over the next four years with 20% on oil and gas production and 80% on CCS and renewable energy. In March, Shell said it would invest as much as £25bn in UK energy with 75% on low-carbon and renewable projects.
BP is among the big energy companies that responded to the UK Business Minister Kwasi Kwarteng calling for new oil and gas investments. It follows pressure from opposition parties and the public for the UK’s Conservative Government to impose a windfall tax on the record profits that have been announced by major energy companies. BP announced it will invest £18bn in UK energy by 2030, including new exploration; what it described as “lower emission” oil and gas projects; and electrification projects to reduce operational emissions. It also committed to invest in hydrogen, CCS and renewables. Eni too has come forward to say it will invest €2.5bn in the UK over the next four years with 20% on oil and gas production and 80% on CCS and renewable energy. In March, Shell said it would invest as much as £25bn in UK energy with 75% on low-carbon and renewable projects.
Banks, but no insulation
The Government also announced it will finalise the creation of an Infrastructure Bank that will have £22bn to fund low-carbon investment and rapidly scale up operations.
Its proposals mention the need to decarbonise heating, and it will use the new bill to launch a large-scale hydrogen heating trial, create a new market standard and trading scheme to prompt industry to grow the market and reduce the costs of electric heat pumps; and will appoint Ofgem as the new energy regulator for heat networks in a bid to ensure consumers get a reliable supply of heat at a fair price.
It also confirmed earlier proposals to create a Future System Operator that will provide a strategic systems view over both the electricity and gas networks. The Government said in April that an independent body is needed to provide a “whole system” approach to effectively deal with the complexity of the energy transition, including the integration of hydrogen and CCS in the push for net zero emissions.
The Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) welcomed the measures outlined in the Energy Security Bill though said it would like to see additional legislative proposals focused on greenhouse gas removal, including direct air capture.
Meanwhile, the trade association RenewablesUK said that to boost hydrogen the Government should address planning and permitting barriers, update regulations to encourage green hydrogen retrofit, define a zero carbon hydrogen standard, and exempt electrolysers from environ-
mental levies.
A common complaint about the Government’s proposals is the lack of measures to reduce demand for energy, such as support for insulation.
Simon Virley, Vice Chair and Head of Energy and Natural Resources at KPMG, said: “There is nothing in the draft Bill that will help consumers with the cost of living crisis in the short term, or help improve energy efficiency, which is the most cost effective way to permanently reduce energy bills, lower carbon emissions and reduce our dependence on imported oil and gas.”
