Pioneering Use of Hydrogen for Industry and Transport

The UK government’s commitment to reduce the impact of climate change under the Paris Agreement, means the country needs to increasingly develop and utilise renewable sources of energy and reduce transport and industrial emissions of greenhouse gases.  

Research at the University of South Wales Hydrogen Centre focuses on the application of hydrogen technologies to achieve deep decarbonisation of industry, transport and the energy sector.   

From 2008, our researchers developed an innovative and commercially viable approach to producing hydrogen, which led to work with ITM Power in deploying their first commercial PEM electrolyser and consequently expanding their business to implement refuelling stations and hydrogen plants worldwide.  

Furthermore, our research has also influenced the development of UK and Welsh government policy on hydrogen and has accelerated industrial engagement in decarbonisation activity, particularly through development of novel techniques to recover major volumes of hydrogen from steel making, and the formation and development of an extensive South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC) with over 40 industrial partners from several sectors. 

Finally, the USW Hydrogen Centre has been instrumental in changing policy at the nationalised State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) supporting them in the introduction of electrolytic hydrogen as a balancing mechanism for electricity grid operation and for the deployment of hydrogen refuelling stations in China.