Growing a green gas giant: innovations in hydrogen production

Whilst much has been made of UK engineering’s response to the Covid-19 crisis, there’s a growing sense that this impressive mobilisation of the manufacturing base is merely a dress-rehearsal for an even more daunting challenge: reducing the UK’s carbon emissions to nothing by 2050.

Because whilst politicians and businesses across the economy will all have a role to play, the quest to meet the net zero emissions targets that are enshrined in British law is first and foremost an engineering challenge that will require unprecedented levels of innovation in almost every area of energy technology: from carbon capture and storage, to modular nuclear reactors, battery technology, offshore wind, solar and more.

There is, quite clearly, no silver bullet. But one energy source that’s considered an increasingly vital component of this low carbon future, and in which the UK is very well-placed to develop a competitive edge, is hydrogen.

Abundant, versatile, energy dense and clean at point of use, hydrogen has long attracted a vocal band of evangelists, who have trumpeted the gas’ potential for heating our homes, fuelling our transport and generally reshaping our energy economy.