Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Green hydrogen plant to be built in net-zero drive
THE South West’s first green hydrogen plant is set to be built, as part of efforts to find clean energy alternatives for achieving net zero targets.
The production and storage facility will be based at the new Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS) research facility at the Bristol and Bath Science Park.
The IAAPS in Emerson’s Green, South Gloucestershire, is set to open this summer as a centre of excellence for research, innovation, enterprise and education, supporting the decarbonisation of the transport industry.
The hydrogen plant, which has been possible due to a successful £2.5m bid to the UK Research Partnership Innovation Fund (RPIF), is scheduled to become operational in spring 2023.
The new manufacturing capability will aim to help the development of sustainable propulsion technologies for the hard-to-electrify sectors such as aviation, marine, off-highway and heavy haulage.
It will form the basis of a regional sustainable transport acceleration hub, working with over 30 cross-sector partners to stimulate green growth in the area and to provide an important link in the national hydrogen research infrastructure.
The University of Bath, which jointly owns the park with South Gloucestershire Council, said its new facilities would support an “important outcome” of the COP26 climate summit last year – a drive to ensure affordable, low-carbon hydrogen is broadly available by 2030.
IAAPS academic director professor Chris Brace said: “The IAAPS team boasts a strong track record of delivering impactful research with real-world application, and I am confident that the green hydrogen facility is not only an important expansion of our remit and R&I portfolio, but also brings value to the industry as a whole and significantly advances the technologies needed to transition to a net zero society and economy.”
The hydrogen facility will also help reduce the carbon footprint of the IAAPS site, acting as a regional and national demonstrator for local green energy generation.
It comes as the University of Bath’s Professor Tim Mays is set to head up a new project to set up new centres of excellence for hydrogen research.
Funded by government body UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the six-month project will aim to tackle research challenges blocking the wider use of these low carbon fuels in the UK.
Professor Duncan Wingham, executive chair of the Natural Environment Research Council and sponsor for environmental sustainability and net zero at UKRI, said: “Our Environmental Sustainability Strategy commits UKRI to supporting the research sector to reduce its negative environmental impacts.
“This funding will help these leading national centres and facilities develop innovative solutions to reducing energy demand and increasing the use of renewable power in some unique research environments.”