The most recent funding opportunities.
Funding
EU Funding & Tenders Portal (europa.eu)
• Pre-announcement: Design Accelerators round three. Call for proposal closes 3 October 2024
Design Accelerators: round three – UKRI
• Pre-announcement: Sustainable Industrial Futures. Call for proposal closes 19 November 2024https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/sustainable-industrial-futures/
• Market Uptake Measures of renewable energy systems (HORIZON-CL5-2024-D3-02-10). Call for proposal closes 21 January 2025 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl5-2024-d3-02-10
• Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply (HORIZON-CL5-2024-D3-02). Call for proposal closes 21 January 2025https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl5-2024-d3-02-02
• Efficient, sustainable and inclusive energy use (HORIZON-CL5-2024-D4-02). Call for proposal closes 21 January 2025https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl5-2024-d4-02-02
• Early Career Research Travel Fund. Applications welcome until 28 February 2025 https://supergenen.org/ecrs/
HI-ACT were delighted to be amongst a group of hydrogen experts during a workshop by the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering where the hydrogen community explored the challenges, opportunities, and enablers for a route towards developing a green hydrogen economy in the UK.
A report from the workshop aims to help policymakers ensure that green hydrogen can fulfil its potentially crucial role in a future low-carbon energy system. The workshop included expert engineers, scientists and policymakers, and explored the enablers, barriers, dependencies and opportunities for growing the nascent UK hydrogen sector.
The report highlights the critical factors that need to be addressed to enable the hydrogen economy to reach its full potential. Green hydrogen is likely to be particularly critical for industries that are challenging to decarbonise with electricity, such as steel, chemicals and long-haul transport.
The new Government’s approach to hydrogen.
By Professor Paul Dodds
There has been much interest in the climate and energy policies of the new Labour Government since it was elected on 4 July.
Prior to the election, the Conservative and Labour parties agreed on a number of areas including building new nuclear power stations, offshore wind and the importance of hydrogen.
A key difference, though, was their vision for the speed of low-carbon transition. In September 2023, the Conservative Government slowed down the transition by, for example, delaying the date at which petrol and diesel cars would be phased out to 2035. Labour, in contrast, pledged to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 and bring the phase-out date for cars back to 2030.
Labour’s Clean Energy Superpower Mission focuses on cutting energy bills and creating jobs. It includes a pledge to fund green hydrogen manufacturing with up to £500m over the new parliament. A National Wealth Fund is being created whose investments could include hydrogen, and GB Energy will be an owner and investor whose tasks will include project development, project investment and supply chains. The GB Energy Bill is scheduled to have its Second Reading in Parliament in September 2024 so it is clearly a priority.
Hydrogen is not a short-term priority for the new Government
The principal short-term priority for the new government appears to be clean power by 2030. The next offshore wind auction has already been increased to £1.5bn. There is a question about whether the Government will commit to a regular pipeline of support in the longer term that gives investors the confidence to invest in new UK factories to deliver wind turbines and other technologies.
Labour’s longer-term thoughts on net zero focus on nature, clean air, decarbonising transport and leveraging finance. It’s not clear that there will be a substantial focus on hydrogen over this parliament.
Ed Miliband is the new Secretary of State for DESNZ, having held the same position for DECC in 2008–2010 when that Government was strongly in favour of electrification to reduce emissions. Sarah Jones is the new Minister of State with responsibility for hydrogen. The Prime Minister and particularly the new Chancellor of the Exchequer were very positive about hydrogen investments prior to the election.
Big questions remain about the strategy to decarbonise heat
While Labour is committed to using heat pumps to decarbonise heating in homes, Ed Miliband said prior to the election that a Labour Government would not force homeowners to rip out their gas boilers. Yet last year Lord Callanan, the previous Minister of State with responsibility for hydrogen, said “the idea that we could produce enough hydrogen at reasonable cost to displace mains gas is pretty much impossible”. So, what is the strategy?
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) warned last summer that policymakers need to stop “avoiding big, impactful decisions and actions” to decarbonise heat. The decision on whether to use hydrogen for heating due in 2026 but the village pilot studies were abandoned by the previous government. The new Government will have come to a decision on its next steps for this challenging area sooner rather than later.
New Project Funded Under Innovation Launchpad Network+ to Advance Hydrogen Technology
The Innovation Launchpad Network+, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), unites leading universities, the Catapult Network, and regional innovation ecosystems to foster the exchange of ideas and knowledge. Recently, the Researchers in Residence Innovation Scheme of the Innovation Launchpad Network+ funded a new project titled “Integrating Industry and Academic Perspectives for Advancing Hydrogen Technology: A Roadmapping Approach“.
The principal investigator, Dr Dawei Wu, an associate professor at the University of Birmingham, introduced the project:
“The aim of the project is to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial application in hydrogen technology development. This project will create an integrated UK roadmap for hydrogen technology, with clear milestones for 2030, 2040, and 2050.”
Dr Wu is also part of the EPSRC-funded HI-ACT Hub, where he leads the development of hydrogen technology roadmaps with an emphasis on a whole energy system approach and hydrogen integration. He added:
“Working closely with the Hydrogen Innovation Initiative (HII) project partners, especially the Connected Places Catapult (CPC), the project will integrate insights from both industry and academia.”
By combining industry needs and upcoming academic research, the new project seeks to identify expertise and technology gaps, highlighting investment opportunities to strengthen the UK’s hydrogen sector. The project also aims to disseminate its findings through workshops with UK experts and a non-technical article to emphasize the importance of collaboration between academia and industry. These efforts will provide valuable information to stakeholders and link the new roadmap with existing ones, enabling further exploration of the topic.
Dr Wu specialises in zero-carbon fuels and emissions-free propulsion technologies for transport. In addition to his role in the UK National Hydrogen Research Centre: HI-ACT Hub, he also serves as the research theme leader for ‘Low-carbon Propulsion Systems’ in the UK Clean Maritime Research Hub.
Dr Wu expects that the newly funded project will represent a step forward in the UK’s efforts to advance hydrogen technology, driving future innovation in the emerging hydrogen sector.
The Hydrogen Innovation Showcase was a two-day event, at the Pendulum Hotel and Conference Centre in Manchester 2-3 July.
Welcoming industry leaders, innovators, and researchers to explore ground-breaking projects across the UK hydrogen landscape, offering a fantastic opportunity for the industry to meet and discuss the future of hydrogen.
Co-hosts included HI-ACT, UK- HyRES, Innovate UK, and the Hydrogen Innovation Initiative.
Focussing on projects across the UK hydrogen landscape, it included.
- -Exploring the innovation taking place across the hydrogen landscape
- -Learning about the interesting and unique projects from exhibitors and speakers
- -Understanding more about the key research developments and funding opportunities underpinning the hydrogen economy
- -Enabling and accelerating meaningful partnerships and collaborations with others in the space
Marcus Walls-Bruck, Head of Hydrogen Technologies at the National Composites Centre presented at the Hydrogen Innovation Showcase, highlighting the innovative projects taking place across the UK in hydrogen, featuring key players in the hydrogen landscape.
From HI-ACT we were delighted to have Professor Tapas Mallick presenting, and a key member of the panel session on ‘where are we and where are we going’.
The event also included a talk by Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK, Technical Director on Hydrogen’s role in decarbonisation, discussing their longevity of the market, and included work on Hydrogen fuel cells they have been undertaking for the last 30 years.
It is safe to say The Hydrogen Innovation Showcase was a huge success with many insightful talks, rapid-fire pitches from innovative SMEs, engrossing panel discussions and last but by no means least our hubs’ research.
Thank you to all who contributed to this successful event, it was an inspiring experience, and wonderful to see such valuable positivity in the room.
Fuelling Collaboration – Advancing Hydrogen Integration through Strategic Partnerships
By Prof Sara Walker
As a Hub, we have a responsibility to be a catalyst for the community who are interested in hydrogen integration. We are also expected to collaborate with the wider energy community, through the major UKRI investments in this space. So how do we do this, in reality?
One way is through advisory boards. It is an excellent way to keep up to date with activities which are happening within other big projects/centres/hubs. So I am involved in advisory boards for UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), Supergen Energy Networks Hub, and UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC). I am delighted to soon be joining the Advisory Board for the Centre for Doctoral Training in Engineering Hydrogen Net Zero, known as EnerHy.
Another way is through joint events. A chance to mix, as a community, with those working on adjacent subject areas brings some fascinating insights. In our first year, we have held joint webinars with UKCCSRC, UK-HyRES, and UKERC. We also collaborated on the development and delivery of an early career conference involving a fantastic mix of attendees from across the community, including C-DICE, CO2RE, EDI+, ERA, SUSTAIN, UK-HyRES, and Supergen Bioenergy Hub.
There is cross fertilisation of ideas as a result of our consortium members being involved in other research projects. So we have academics who are also working within the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC), UKERC, Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC), Supergen Energy Networks Hub, and UK-HyRES. We are learning from projects in other ways. Best practise on flexible funds are informed through conversations with ACCESS, and advice on equality diversity and inclusion comes through events held by IGNITE+, UKERC and EDRC, for example.
The value of collaboration is sometimes more, and sometimes less tangible. For example:
- Through collaboration with UK-HyRES, colleagues on that project have been willing to champion HI-ACT [and vice versa!] at conferences and in conversations.
- Through involvement in Supergen Energy Networks Hub Advisory Board, I was able to take part in a video and highlight the importance of work on whole energy systems and alternative fuels. Pursuing Low Carbon Energy (youtube.com)
- Conversations with IDRIC colleagues who are also on HI-ACT, has helped the WP4 team to reflect on the types of communities with whom we might want to engage, helping to inform our methodology.
- Greater awareness of HI-ACT’s work across the academic community has enabled us to be involved in the planning, delivery and post-event report for a Royal Society event on green hydrogen, and attend a Royal Academy of Engineering exchange visit to India.
Regardless of the extent of the impact and outcome, we continue to engage with our academic community because it is the right thing to do. Acting with integrity, collaborating with purpose, to bring a low carbon future closer to reality.
For further information on the projects/centres/hubs listed above, please see:
ACCESS: ACCESS | Home What is ACCESS about (accessnetwork.uk)
C-DICE: C-DICE – The Centre for Postdoctoral Development in Infrastructure, Cities & Energy (cdice.ac.uk)
CDT in Engineering Hydrogen Net Zero: EnerHy CDT | Loughborough University (lboro.ac.uk)
CO2RE: Home – CO₂RE – The Greenhouse Gas Removal Hub (co2re.org)
EDI+: Home – EDI+ (ediplus.ac.uk)
EDRC: Energy Demand Research Centre (edrc.ac.uk)
ERA: ERA Energy Research Accelerator
IDRIC: The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (idric.org)
IGNITE+: Home (ignitenetplus.ac.uk)
Supergen Bioenergy Hub: Supergen Bioenergy Hub research and activity – Supergen Bioenergy Hub (supergen-bioenergy.net)
Supergen Energy Networks Hub: Energy networks community – Supergen (supergenen.org)
SUSTAIN: SUSTAIN Steel – EPSRC Future Steel Manufacturing Research Hub
UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre: UKCCSRC – Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) Welcome to the UKCCSRC – UKCCSRC
UK Energy Research Centre: UKERC | The UK Energy Research Centre
UK-HyRES: UK Hub for Research Challenges in Hydrogen and Alternative Liquid Fuels (ukhyres.ac.uk)
Spotlight on HI-ACT at the HEA conference
By Dr Nabila Rufa’I
HI-ACT, in collaboration with UK-HyRES, were Co-Gold sponsors for the Hydrogen Energy Association (HEA) Annual Conference in London on Thursday, 23rd May 2024, at the QEII Centre in Westminster. With a strong focus on taking proactive and concrete steps towards driving growth in UK’s hydrogen landscape, the central theme of the conference was “Acting on Ambition’’. Hosting over 500 attendees, including leaders in both industry and academia, the conference spanned critical topics related to the acceleration of the hydrogen sector including the latest trends in electrolyser technologies, market analysis and risks to the hydrogen supply chain. In addition to the presence of HI-ACT’s Principal Investigator, Professor Sara Walker, and UK-HyRES Director, Professor Tim Mayes, the occasion was further graced by the presence of Professor Goran Strbac of Imperial College London. In attendance was also HI-ACT’s Researcher, Dr Nabila Rufa’I of the University of Birmingham. The informative sessions of the conference were complemented by several networking opportunities, which enabled additional discussions and collaborations among participants.
The critical role of research hubs in driving innovation in the UK hydrogen industry was discussed by Professor Sara Walker in the ‘’Accelerating Action’’ panel session. In her presentation related to the structure and themes of HI-ACT, Professor Sara Walker discussed about the central mission of HI-ACT- which is to deliver impactful research to accelerate towards a net zero future. She further reiterated that our research is aimed at providing evidence-base for investment and policy making in hydrogen within the UK.
The morning saw a great conversation with Colm Murphy, talking about the development of the National Energy System Operator. He stressed the importance of whole energy systems thinking, when considering the role of hydrogen. Several informative presentations were also given, notably Jenny Kavanagh of Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, whose presentation was related to the energy demand for liquefaction of hydrogen for the aviation sector. Research from Aurora Energy presented by Emma Woodward revealed planned electrolyser production scale exceeds planned projects. Overall, the entire conference provided some valuable insights on the latest developments related to hydrogen in the UK and globally, as well as some of the major challenges that need to be overcome in order to enable hydrogen make the most contribution towards net zero.
Bringing together the future generation of Net Zero researchers
Last month, 250 early career researchers working across aspects of net zero gathered in Birmingham for a two-day conference organised by 14 energy consortia. The conference included a mix of keynote speakers, parallel sessions (skills and topic based) and a networking dinner. As well as an opportunity for ECRs to present their work during the poster reception.
The ECR Net Zero Conference was opened by Myles Allen (University of Oxford), who set the scene for net zero before we heard from the 14 consortia organising the conference about their work in the net zero space.
A plenary session on EDI ran by C-DICE/ERA, EDI + and IGNITE Network+. During this interactive plenary session ECRs explored why the ability to embed equitable, diverse, and inclusive practises into their research is a crucial skill for early career researchers to acquire in order to enable the just transition to a net zero society.
The day then encompasses three parallel sessions on 1) multidisciplinary research, 2) public engagement and 3) writing a narrative CV. Dr Gareth Thomas from Cardiff University said: “I very much enjoyed the conference and the chance to catch up with other social science researchers in the field of energy. The session on public engagement was interesting and it was good to catch up with the Energy Systems Catapults during the Business networking session.”
To end the first day, we hosted a buzzing poster stimulate discussion and find potential collaborative research pathways with fellow ECRs, a networking reception and a conference dinner
The development of this conference was by an organisational committee and an ECR committee. It was important to ensure ECRs feedback was considered in the development of the programme and give them experience to lead sessions.
Dr Nabila Rufa’I from University of Birmingham said:
“Being part of the ECR Steering Committee, as well as witnessing the success of the conference was an immensely gratifying experience. I had the amazing opportunity of connecting with other ECRs and made some industry contacts that will potentially provide valuable insights to my research.”
Hear what our ECRs thought about the conference:
“Attending this conference was an incredibly enjoyable experience, and the sessions with diverse array of speakers and activities offered valuable insights. It was lovely to catch up with former colleagues from previous projects and meeting new ones. Beyond the informative sessions, the networking opportunities were invaluable, allowing ECRs to connect with experts in my field.” – Dr Zoya Pourmirza, University of Birmingham
“I would like to thank all the members of the conference organizing committee, and I would especially like to thank Rhiannon, the representative of HI-ACT. The conference was well-organized and stimulating. It contained a lot of information which contributed toward building positive ideas regarding research into achieving future zero carbon targets. Overall, I found the conference a particularly useful experience. I was able to build research relationships with fellow attendees.” Khalid Almalkai, University of Exeter
“Attending the ECR Net Zero Conference was a remarkable experience. It provided a brilliant platform where I can meet and connect with peer researchers working in energy and sustainability fields. The workshops offered me in-depth insights into energy-related research and significantly broadened my research vision. This event definitely inspired me to explore innovative pathways in my future work in the energy field.” – Tong Zhang, Cardiff University
HI-ACT announced as Co-Gold sponsor for HEA conference
HI-ACT
HI-ACT is proud to announce its role as Co-Gold sponsors for the Hydrogen Energy Association Annual Conference in 2024, in collaboration with UK-HyRES. Alongside our sister hub ,we are excited to support an event that anticipates over 500 attendees, all converging under the theme “Acting on Ambition” to explore the burgeoning opportunities, practical advancements, trends, and pivotal success factors within the UK’s hydrogen landscape.
The conference sessions will span critical topics such as scaling up supply, cultivating demand, establishing robust supply chains, and accelerating actionable initiatives. HI-ACT’s PI Professor Sara Walker will be joined by UK-HyRES director Professor Tim Mayes in delivering a presentation entitled “Hydrogen Research Hubs as Innovation Partners.”
For more information and to secure your spot, click here: https://bit.ly/48HD7HV
Dr Tong Zhang appointed as HI-ACT ECR deputy champion
HI-ACT have recently created a new role within the centre: ECR deputy champion. This role, fixed for 2 years, will offer support to our existing ECR champion Aoife Foley in organising ECR activities within HI-ACT and also for the wider ECR community in Net Zero research. We are happy to announce that Dr Tong Zhang, of Cardiff University, was successful in her application to the role. The core HI-ACT team are looking forward to working with Tong on ECR initiatives over the next 2 years.She has provided the following introduction:
I am excited to introduce myself as the ECR Deputy Champion of HI-ACT project. I received a B.Eng. degree in Electrical Engineering and its Automation at South China University, China, where I gained a Ph.D. degree in Power System and its Automation in 2021. My doctoral research was to investigate the modelling, simulation and optimisation of integrated electricity, gas, and heating systems. Since 2021, I have been working as a research associate at the School of Engineering, Cardiff University, funded by several EPSRC-funded projects such as Hydrogen Integration for Accelerated Energy Transitions (HI-ACT), Maximising Flexibility through Multi-Scale Integration of Energy Systems (MISSION), and Tidal Range schemes as Configurable Grid-scale Energy Storage facilities (TARGET). My recent work focuses on the modelling and optimisation of integrated energy systems, and the system integration of renewable energy sources, including hydrogen and tidal range energy.
My journey in the energy field began in 2012 with my enrolment in the bachelor program of electrical engineering. Since then, I’ve gained a lot of experience and skills in the modelling and analysis of energy systems within the context of energy transitioning. With the worldwide move towards cleaner, alternative fuels, I got interested in researching hydrogen. I’m now working under WP2, Whole Systems Understanding, to investigate the role of hydrogen in the whole energy system by formulating a co-simulation package of integrated energy systems. With the efforts of all WPs, I believe HI-ACT will help address the barriers to the integration of hydrogen into energy systems.
Being an ECR is a mix of excitement and pressure – every day with new opportunities and challenges from academic explorations. As the ECR deputy champion for the HI-ACT project, I’m here to make sure all ECR colleagues get the support they need. My goal is to build a nurturing and inclusive environment for ECRs, ensuring everyone feels supported in their professional journey through comprehensive access to training programs and workshops. I will prioritise the maintenance of clear and open communication between the ECR group and other members of the project, making sure every ECR’s perspective is heard with their contributions recognised. I will also endeavour to extend our support outside HI-ACT. This will involve proactively seeking and creating additional pathways for our ECRs to exhibit their research, broaden their professional networks, and engage in collaborations with researchers from other disciplines, universities, and consortia.
We are not just aiming to provide internal support to ECR colleagues, but also elevate the visibility and impact of ECR colleagues within the global research community. Together, we are committed to assisting our ECRs, facilitating their significant contributions to the development of the hydrogen economy and the transitioning of energy systems.