UK green hydrogen production facility set to open

A hydrogen manufacturing plant in the South West is set to be built at the new Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS) research facility at the Bristol and Bath Science Park.

The new hydrogen production and storage facility will become operational in 2023, while the IAAPS facility becomes operational this summer.

The hydrogen facility has been made possible due to a successful £2.5m bid to the UK Research Partnership Innovation Fund (RPIF) and will allow IAAPS to sustainably produce the gas for its research and testing work.

The new manufacturing capability will address several key objectives for IAAPS, including decarbonising the energy used on the IAAPS site by reducing the whole building carbon footprint, helping toward the transition to net zero

It will supporting vital research and innovation into sustainable propulsion technologies and the use of hydrogen as an alternative green energy to achieve net zero targets, in particular in the hard-to-electrify sectors such as aviation, marine, off-highway and heavy-duty transport

The facility also acts as a regional and national demonstrator for local green energy generation and use, as well as a catalyst for the adoption of hydrogen across a wide range of applications

The green hydrogen plant will form a key strategic element for the University of Bath’s IAAPS, which is a leading centre of excellence for research, innovation, enterprise and education, supporting the future direction of the transport industry and the transition towards net zero.

This Green Hydrogen production and storage facility will form the basis of a regional H2 and Sustainable Transport Acceleration Hub, working with over 30 cross-sector partners to stimulate green growth in the region and to provide an important link in the national hydrogen research infrastructure.

By delivering the new hydrogen production and research facilities, IAAPS directly supports an important outcome of COP 26, the Breakthrough Agenda, and its ambitious goals to dramatically fast-track the deployment of clean technologies to meet climate change targets, and strengthens the UK Government’s Hydrogen Strategy to ensure affordable, low-carbon hydrogen is broadly available by 2030.

Professor Chris Brace, academic director, IAAPS, said: “IAAPS is already widely recognised as a collaborative hub for research and innovation, and a partner of choice for both private and public sector clients covering the breadth of the transport industry. In working with a diverse range of organisations, including industry leaders, innovators, academics, legislators and SMEs, we are setting the pace in the adoption of net zero technology by a much broader range of stakeholders.

“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.”

IAAPS
www.iaaps.co.uk