Hydrogen energy research

The UK Research Councils’ SUPERGEN programme has launched a £5m UK initiative to support the development of technology that produces clean, cheap and sustainable hydrogen energy.

The Delivery of Sustainable Hydrogen (H-Delivery) interdisciplinary research team consists of physical scientists, engineers and social scientists from 13 UK universities.

The consortium will undertake research into advanced methods for the chemical and electrical generation of sustainable hydrogen and the conversion of hydrogen and associated by-products into alternative industrial feedstocks and fuels.

It will also examine the socio-economic appraisal of novel hydrogen production technologies and policy measures to promote the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon, hydrogen economy.

Prof Christopher Whitehead from Manchester University’s School of Chemistry will lead a group that will investigate the use of non-thermal plasma technology combined with suitable catalysts to extract hydrogen from methane in natural gas and biogas.