HI-ACT Researchers go on a mission to Paris to enhance cross-border research collaboration on Hydrogen
Authors: Dr Gareth Thomas, Dr Danny Pudjianto & Dr Adib Allahham
Between 30th January and 1st February, a small delegation of researchers from HI-ACT (Gareth Thomas, Danny Pudjianto & Adib Allahham) and our sister project UK HyRES (Tim Mays, Joan Cordiner and Qiong Cai) boarded Eurostar to Paris on a mission to strengthen cross-border collaboration on hydrogen research with key hydrogen stakeholders based in France. Plans are already ongoing to organise a follow-on event in the French Embassy in London by the end of April.
Day 1: Day 1 began with a series of presentations on the side-lines of Hyvolution, one of Europe’s largest exhibitions of all themes related to hydrogen technologies. Here we heard presentations from Hynamics, Total Energies, and Air Liquide among others. It was fascinating to learn more about ongoing projects across France, as well as about corporate use and safety cases for hydrogen and alternative liquid fuels. Several important introductions were made which may result in fruitful collaborations in the future.
Following this we proceeded to the main exhibition where the UK was represented by a team from the Department for Business and Trade who were holding forth on the UK’s hydrogen strategy and reflecting on the ‘hydrogen moment’ which occurred just before Christmas when a raft of new projects was funded alongside a series of further announced.
The remainder of the afternoon was our own and before retiring to our hotel we had time to explore the main exhibition and it was refreshing to see many stands representing the French regions as well as the UK and Scotland. Danny and Adib came back reporting several useful new contacts to follow up on their return to the UK.
Day 2:
Day 2 saw us take an early morning cab to Thais to visit Institut de Chimie et des Matériaux Paris-Est (ICMCP) where we heard about some fascinating work on novel materials for hydrogen storage, and about an interesting project examining the feasibility of using photocatalytic water splitting to reduce costs at a French water treatment plant. Many useful discussions were had and colleagues from Hy-RES found a plethora of shared interests with their French counterparts in the field of material science.
We adjourned to the British Embassy in time for a light networking lunch and a workshop with representatives from the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, UKRI and the French National Research Network on Hydrogen and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). Danny and Adib presented HI-ACT activities, visions, work plans, and some of the current scientific outcomes related to the role of Hydrogen in the future energy system in the UK.
Significant potential for collaboration was identified in the field of material sciences and hydrogen safety. Discussions particularly highlighted the strength of UK research and HI-ACT particularly in the field of systems integration, modelling, policy and social sciences and will feed into an upcoming UK-France science dialogue taking place later in February.
Day 3:
Day 3 rounded off our visit with a trip to Universite Paris-Saclay where we heard about integrated materials, economic and lifecycle analysis programmes with all present identifying a shared interest in critical resource availability and end-of-life recycling. We were taken on a tour where colleagues from Hy-RES expressed a certain degree of lab envy at the state-of-the-art equipment and new facilities! Potential for student and postdoctoral researcher exchanges soon ensued and continued over lunch which also provided Gareth with an opportunity to compare notes with colleagues on national landscape identifications and the economics of land-use change.
En-route back to Paris we thanked Sara Gill from the British Embassy for organising the trip and plans for a reciprocal trip by French researchers to the UK later in 2024, and follow-up scientific meetings to delve into the technical details of individual work packages and outline the scope of potential collaborations.
While materials science emerged as the key topic of the trip, it also highlighted the unique expertise available within HI-ACT for modelling the integration of whole systems rather than the performance and lifecycle of specific elements. We saw many hydrogen technologies being developed in the exhibitions and laboratories. As a consortium, HI-ACT can contribute to assessing the impact, role and quantify the value of those technologies in supporting decarbonisation, sustainability, and security cost-effectively.
This expertise positions HI-ACT and the UK well for future collaborations with our French colleagues as well as others in Europe and around the world.
HI-ACT CO-I Zoya Pourmirza presents at International Clean-IT conference in Berlin
HI-ACT’s WP3 focuses on the creation of a Cyberphysical architecture, which will couple digital assets with physical networks using digital modelling techniques. This will generate new understanding of both current and future risks, and inform how Hydrogen can be integrated into the wider whole energy system.
Our WP3 colleague Zoya Pourmirza, an expert in Cyberphysical systems and cybersecurity at the University of Birmingham, spoke in the “revolutionising energy production and distribution” session at the clean-IT conference held last year in Berlin. The clean-IT Conference is an international platform for the exchange of ideas to make the digital world more sustainable. High-ranking policy and industry leaders engage in a dialogue with academia and civil society to address the pressing issue of how digital technologies can support the fight against climate change and what needs to be done to reduce the carbon footprint of digitalization.
When asked about the event, Zoya gave the following quote: “In this conference we discussed how IT systems can help future energy systems, and provided solutions and recommendations for sustainable IT systems. One key thing to remember is no single discipline can address the challenges we are facing for our smart energy systems, and we need to bring together experts from multiple disciplines to collaboratively work together to address these challenges.”
To find out more about the Clean-IT conference and watch the promotional video, click here
To watch the revolutionising energy production and distribution session in full, click here
The Hydrogen Moment: HI-ACT thought-piece
Professor Paul Dodds from University College London (UCL) provides a pragmatic analysis of the recent UK hydrogen strategy announcement. Focusing on the key developments, Dodds explores the practical implications for energy, technology, and sustainability. Additionally, the thought-piece sheds light on the role of HI-ACT in supporting the UK government’s efforts in advancing the hydrogen agenda.
The UK Government made a number of hydrogen announcements on 14 December 2023, all of which contribute to developing a market for hydrogen in the UK. The development of a market is a key step to enable successful innovation. Without market share, UK companies cannot sustainably develop their technologies and test them with consumers in order to improve them (and export them).
The UK Government announced support for 11 new hydrogen production plants worth £2bn over the next 15 years, and launched the second round of this subsidy scheme to support another 875 GW of hydrogen production. These will provide a supply of hydrogen to sites across the UK but will not yet create an open market. The UK Hydrogen Strategy was updated in December and the production roadmap and a pathway for transport and storage of hydrogen aim to develop a market. Moreover, a low carbon hydrogen standard is already operating to ensure the new plants produce low-carbon hydrogen, and a certification scheme is being created to enable low-carbon hydrogen to be traded on an open market.
The decision to support blending of up to 20% hydrogen with natural gas across the UK means that many people could use hydrogen as a fuel in their homes in the future. On the other hand, the hydrogen village trial at Redcar was withdrawn, joining the abandonment of Whitby last year and calling into question the future of the hydrogen for heating programme on which a strategic decision is planned in 2026.
HI-ACT, and our sister hub UK-HyRES are contributing novel research to provide a foundation for hydrogen energy systems. HI-ACT is examining what we can learn from the village trials and is considering hydrogen infrastructure needs and regulatory challenges over the next decade. While government support is very welcome, it’s important that we build on this support by investing in the next generation of hydrogen technologies that will be on the market in the 2030s and 2040s.
Professor Paul Dodds’ thought-piece provides a practical examination of the UK’s hydrogen strategy, focusing on its implications for energy, technology, and sustainability. It was originally written for the Joint HI-ACT & UK-HyRES newsletter. To sign up to our newsletter, please click the link here
The end of 2023 saw another Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change comes to an end. This time the event was held in sunny Dubai, UAE. We had commitment from the participants to ‘transition’ away from fossil fuels, but this departed from earlier stronger language to ‘phase out’ fossil fuels. Despite this, it is the first time that any agreement has explicitly taken aim at the use of fossil fuels.
Ambiguity is the word that comes to mind when describing the text on ‘accelerating zero and low emissions technologies’, which happens to include carbon capture and storage (CCS), which the agreement goes on state will ‘enhance efforts towards substitution of unabated fossil fuels in energy systems’. So plainly speaking, the decision makers at COP 28 want to transition away from fossil fuels but at the same time encourage the development of technologies that primarily use fossil fuels.
From a hydrogen perspective if there was ever an ideal location where we could expect a positive set of announcements then this was the place! Dubai like many petrochemical based economies is pondering on the compatibility of their main source of income with long term international decarbonisation goals. This is where a shift or growth in the demand for hydrogen may assist them especially if it’s the blue variety (Steam Methane Reforming – SMR with CCS), or as the agreed text states ‘low carbon’ alongside zero carbon hydrogen (green).
Accelerating globalisation and commercialisation of hydrogen
There were several hydrogen focussed side meetings and mini summits at COP 28. One of the larger gatherings was the ‘Hydrogen Transition Summit’ which had an impressive 500 delegates from companies, academia, and policy institutions Hydrogen Transition Summit | COP 28 (climateaction.org). This all culminated in the official COP28 Presidency’s High-Level Roundtable on Hydrogen which brought together the inaugural International Hydrogen Tarde forum (IHTF is a recently launched inter-governmental organisation in which UK is member alongside the USA and key prospective importing/exporting countries) and a delegation of the Hydrogen Council CEOs representing the global industrial leaders in hydrogen. The outcome of the High-Level Roundtable on Hydrogen was a suite of flagship hydrogen initiatives which focussed on:
Accelerating globalisation and commercialisation of hydrogen whilst adhering to the net zero target, through Intergovernmental Declaration of Intent on Mutual Recognition of Certification Schemes for Hydrogen and Hydrogen Derivatives and an ISO methodology providing a global benchmark for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions assessment of hydrogen pathways on a life-cycle analysis basis.
Unlocking the socio-economic benefits of cross-border hydrogen value chains through establishment of trade corridors in hydrogen and derivatives in partnership with the International Hydrogen Trade Forum (IHTF) and the Hydrogen Council.
Many such as the USA Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewables, described these initiatives as ‘pivotal’ in that they recognise the key role of clean hydrogen in global decarbonisation and for meeting global energy needs, whilst endorsing the declaration of mutual recognition of hydrogen certification schemes to help facilitate a global market.
What does this mean for the UK?
Demand for hydrogen in the UK is mainly focussed on hard to ‘decarbonise sectors’ such as industry, air travel, heavy goods vehicles, shipping, and agriculture. With regards to hydrogen use for domestic heating, a government decision will be announced in 2026 but without input from the hydrogen trials that were set to take place in Redcar. Hydrogen village trial: open letter to Gas Distribution Networks and further information – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
On the supply side, the UK has a target of 10GW hydrogen production by 2030. Currently investment is flowing into fossil fuel (gas) SMR production of hydrogen and as the COP 28 agreement states will transition to low carbon production of hydrogen with the development of CCS (in the UK this is supported by specific funding rounds). The UK government is aiming for least 6GW of the total hydrogen production in 2030 to be produced through green (electrolysis) technologies and recently further support was provided to the tune of £2 billion for 11 new green hydrogen production projects over the next 15 years Major boost for hydrogen as UK unlocks new investment and jobs – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
There are key decisions to be made regarding the use of hydrogen in the UK over the next couple of years, which I don’t think COP 28 has really provided the required momentum. But I will end this blog in positive way with the mantra of the ‘Hydrogen Council’ “There’s no climate solution without clean hydrogen…And there’s no clean hydrogen without action”!
When public engagement goes wrong: Learning from a hydrogen village trial
Authors: Dr Gareth Thomas and Professor Karen Henwood, Cardiff University
In September we, HI-ACT, launched our five-year Hub and research plan, developed through meaningful conversations with our academic consortia. During this time, social scientists Dr Gareth Thomas and Professor Karen Henwood from Cardiff University (aligned to our ‘Social and Political Perspectives’ work stream) engaged in topical conversations about the community engagement of the recently cancelled Whitby hydrogen village trials. Here, we use the blog format as a means of sharing real world insight based on valuable conversations we had with those stakeholders who had close up knowledge of the Whitby trial, and explore some of the challenges of implementing ‘ideal type’ public engagement processes within real world projects.
We thank colleagues involved in these trials for sharing their experiences with us at the HI-ACT launch and hope to start a wider conversation based on the “provocations” below.
The voice of the local people
In the context of energy trials which impact people’s daily life, it is important that decisions are communicated fairly with an opportunity to input to decisions that are being made. Best practice for such engagements suggests they work best at the earliest stage when the aim and ambition of a project is still up for debate.
In the case of the Whitby trial, central government wanted answers to specific questions relating to conversion of gas networks to hydrogen. While the trial may have been open to revision based on local consultation, framing proposals prior to engaging the community likely gave the impression that outcomes had been decided in advance.
Cadent, the regional gas network operator, was tasked with local consultation and delivery of the trial. A one -year period was set aside for local consultation, which included doorstep visits, community meetings, focus groups and surveys, alongside the dissemination of written information and the opening of a hydrogen experience centre for residents to visit and learn more about the project.
After the abandonment of the Whitby trial, it would be unfair to those involved to describe this process as tokenistic. Indeed, Cadent staff have continued to engage the community on net-zero issues. However, with project outcomes already specified, residents were denied the opportunity to shape the aims of the trial, and Cadent had limited scope for adaptation when locals raised concerns on this basis.
Trust in energy companies and infrastructure providers
As a regulated monopoly, Cadent were the only organisation qualified and entitled to make modifications to the gas network in Whitby. They also took responsibility for running the community engagement process, subcontracting home assessments and conversion of in home heating and cooking equipment to British Gas, an energy retail company with a large engineering workforce and a strong reputation for gas appliance installation and maintenance.
When evaluating complex and unfamiliar technologies, humans often rely on rules of thumb to simplify decision making, enabling us to get on with our lives without becoming experts in every aspect of the world around us. Social psychologists specialising in risk perception often emphasise two forms of trust as particularly important- competence and integrity.
Competence based trust is the belief that organisations responsible for technology or infrastructure will deliver safe and reliable services. Energy companies are typically trusted on competence. Cadent and British gas were the right people to be doing the actual work of network and appliance conversion.
Integrity based trust is the belief that responsible organisations have the best interests of society at heart, will be honest and transparent in their dealings, and will not abuse their position in the pursuit of undue profits. Energy companies are typically not well trusted when it comes to integrity. Repeated studies have shown households want independent advice before taking on the financial uncertainty and disruption of switching to unfamiliar home heating systems.
With this knowledge in mind, Cadent and British Gas were always going to struggle to be seen as independent or impartial, and this may have contributed to some polarisation around the proposed trial. Information presented by Cadent and British Gas may not have been taken at face value and could easily be dismissed as misleading by those opposed to the project. Partnering with an independent organisation such as a non-profit energy, housing or financial advice charity may have reduced the potential for mistrust to emerge.
Uncertainties about the future
Gas distribution infrastructure is a natural monopoly, it’s costly to build and maintain and its financial viability rests on a single supplier coordinating and recouping costs within a given area.
During the early stages of consultation, initial proposals envisaged all households in the trial area either participating, or converting to electric heating, a cost which would have been covered by Cadent. The option of remaining on the gas network was not included in initial proposals.
While the project may have been open to redesigning the trial, this was not necessarily clear to all residents and the prospect of an enforced conversion was likely viewed by some as a significant threat to household autonomy, contributing to polarisation and mistrust.
Residents also raised concerns over what would happen at the end of the project, would guarantees on the cost and servicing of hydrogen be continued? If the area moved back to natural gas who would incur the cost of new appliances? Cadent responded to these queries, but early concerns were amplified by social media and traditional news outlets, further reducing trust in the project.
During latter stages of the consultation, Cadent revised their proposal, offering to construct a separate natural gas network for households who did not wish to participate in the trial. Shortly after this announcement, National Government decided against holding the trial in Whitby.
Wider debates around hydrogen heating
Cadent and British Gas may have been slow to recognise the capacity of the local community to develop their own expertise, sourcing information and advice from elsewhere rather than taking project representatives at their word.
This was problematic as debates remain over the merits of hydrogen heating relative to other sources, and some trusted sources of information might amplify the polarised framing of hydrogen for heating. For example, some environmental NGOs and civil society activists have raised questions over the environmental benefits of hydrogen. Pointing to natural gas as a major source of hydrogen production, they argue it maintains reliance on fossil fuels and hence does not address the problem of high bills, resource depletion, and CO2 production. These organisations tend to be more trusted on questions of integrity. Their framing of hydrogen as a ‘false’ or ‘non-solution’ chimes well with established public values favouring long term solutions over sticking plaster solutions.
The UK government and debate among experts also display significant uncertainties over the future role of hydrogen. While some studies suggest hydrogen may have a role in domestic heating such as in hard to insulate homes, others suggest need for hydrogen in other sectors could make it costly and inappropriate for use in homes. Wider uncertainty over hydrogen’s future raised questions over the wisdom of participating in a trial for a technology which may be abandoned in the near future. Such debates furnished opponents of the trial with reputably sourced information to argue their case.
Some involved in the trial may have blamed the consultation’s failure on uninvited participation by individuals and groups from outside the trial area, but a lot of these critiques are easily available online and citizens have a long track record of developing expertise quickly in response to a perceived threat. Blaming outside agencies misunderstands public’s capacity to do their own research and seek out alternative information.
Reflections
As social scientists without a role in energy systems governance, it is easy for us to point out how the Whitby trial fell short of ideal type public engagement processes. Consultation should have began when the goals and parameters of the trial were being defined. This may have helped reduce the early perceptions of the consultation as a fait accompli, and to identify initial concerns over enforced heating conversion before initial plans were drawn up. Cadent and British Gas were good choices for delivery of the trial, but the mistrust with which they were greeted by some members of the community could have been foreseen and avoided through use of an independent intermediary approached to provide information and consultation activities.
At the same time, decisions over the scope of the project and lack of long-term certainty over the future role of hydrogen in UK policy making were not within the gift of the companies running the Whitby trial. The need for heat decarbonisation has not been extensively debated in the UK, and many householders are unaware their gas boilers contribute to climate change. In this context, the sudden appearance of anyone offering potentially disruptive changes to an unfamiliar technology might give rise to questions and some concern.
It may also be the case that heat decarbonisation is an inherently provocative activity. It requires changes to home heating systems over which residents have little say, raising questions of autonomy and choice within what is usually considered the private domain of the home. Offering residents the chance to remain on gas earlier in the consultation may have reduced the chance of polarised opposition emerging, but this is unlikely to be a viable solution for the long term. By consulting on a proposal which did not include the option of remaining on gas, Cadent have given us a real-world experiment in how communities may react to infrastructure policies perceived to be enforcing heat decarbonisation without sufficient long term guarantees and protections. It may be that for future trials to be successful, more work at a national level is needed to persuade communities to come forward as pioneers.
Hope for the future
HI-ACT plans to work on community perceptions. As we generate insights about the role and connotations of hydrogen for domestic use, we will seek to feed them back to stakeholders. Our ways of working will take full account of positions held by both publics and industrial stakeholders. They will speak to wider questions too – about methods for ‘scaling out’ hopeful visions of hydrogen, building communication and trust between stakeholders, and improving communities’ prospects for living well with major system changes.
Guest blog: Realising Net Zero through Green Jobs & Skills
Few people can deny that the climate crisis is very real & we must act now and on a huge scale if we are able to meet Net Zero targets. The term net zero means achieving a balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere, and the carbon removed from it. Almost every single country in the world has set out plans for their targets to hit net zero; for example in June 2019 the UK became the first major economy to pass a legislation for net zero, aiming to achieve this by 2050 with many other countries quickly following suit. Billions in funding everywhere in the world is being pushed into the renewable energy industry (growing year on year) as ambitious net zero targets attempt to be met.
There is much debate around how sustainable current practises really are within the industry due to so much of the technology being new & developed every single day. One thing that is certain however, is that not aiming for net zero is not an option. The costs of disastrous effects of climate change if left unchecked will be much higher than the costs of achieving net zero.
What role SK plays in the industry
Samuel Knight International is one of the largest global recruitment solution providers for the Energy and Climate Tech sectors in the world. Our purpose is to create a greener tomorrow today by working with our global community to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050 through these solutions.
As a cross-functional business model, we support all sub sectors within the Renewable Energy industry including Wind, Solar, Battery Storage, Hydro, Hydrogen, T&D with contractual work and permanent positions.
We act as an extension of other businesses to support their respective goals & objectives by outfitting full teams for large scale renewable projects, right down to filling in singular roles urgently needed to progress.
Samuel Knight has a world-class team of recruiters with a wealth of industry knowledge & experience alike. We pride ourselves on our diverse workforce, encouraging each individual to bring their unique skillset to the team. This shows in the work we do, with each industry demanding different skills & evolving every single day.
What gaps are there in the industry?
Arguably, there are gaps in every subsector of the renewable industry as funding for huge scale projects is constantly being pushed by world governments, with not enough manpower on the market to fill the positions. Whilst it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly where the gaps are largest, some of the most prominent are technical skills, engineering & energy storage. Due to rapid growth & new technologies, expertise in solar panel installation, wind turbine maintenance, and grid integration is often a concern.
Energy storage is also one of the most pressing concerns as to put it simply, it doesn’t matter how much clean energy we can generate, if we have nowhere to store it then it is useless. Many issues also arise with the current lithium-ion batteries used by renewable companies such as short circuits, difficulty recycling and the cost to mine the resources. However, battery storage solutions are evolving every day, developments from companies such as Tesla & more recently the Monash University in Australia claims to have developed a Lithium-Sulfur battery which could store up to 5x the energy & cost half as much as the lithium-ion counterpart.
What aspects do SK find challenging
There is a current challenge of perception of the Renewables industry, in particular women pursuing careers in the industry. This is due to several factors, one being it is a predominately male dominated industry and, two; a lack of awareness that the sector can offer much more than just manual labour-intensive work. Arguably, one relates to the other and that is what we are working on changing. The other factor is the ratio of hard transferable skills being utilised when considering candidates for positions, it should be utilised to close the skills gap in this candidate shy market.
At Samuel Knight, we have recently launched The Women of Today – Energy, which is an organisation solely based on empowering women to pursue careers in the renewable energy industry whilst also supporting organisations to meet their DE&I objectives. Our Co-Founders Katelyn Young – Group Marketing & Communications Manager, Alison Lowrie – Strategic Business Director and Kenzie Morris – Director of Energy USA, all have the same pursuit, to establish equal representation in the Renewables Ecosystem and closing the skills gap.
Visit our LinkedIn page to find out more about we do: The Women of Today – Energy
What do we want and what do we not want in tomorrow’s energy jobs sector?
Many people believe that the renewable energy industry is incredibly difficult to get into & only the very best & most skilled individuals land themselves positions in the industry. This is very untrue as there is a huge demand for transferrable skills – many tradesmen, labourers, engineers, tech professionals & many more jobs have relevant skillsets which can be transferred to renewable energy.
Pros & cons can however come from this fact. As the world transitions to renewable energy away from bad practises found in non-sustainable[DM1] energy vectors, a lot of these bad practices in turn could transfer to the renewable industry. This also correlates to the huge demand for workers in the sector, they are often being pulled from other transferable industries, rather than being a ‘clean sheet’ and being trained from the ground up in new techniques deemed more suitable for the renewable industry.
There is also lots of debate surrounding many of the sectors in the renewable industry regarding how sustainable it really is. For example, battery storage was previously mentioned as it is no secret lithium-ion batteries are incredibly expensive to mine in both money & resources, in turn damaging the environment. In the transition to net zero, there is inevitably ‘fallout’ from fossil fuels being used. Additionally, wind turbines fall victim to similar scrutiny. The epoxy blades used are not recyclable & are huge in scale. This means that methods of transport can be limited & in turn burns lots of fossil fuel & when viewed in terms of some of the largest wind farms on the planet, there is a lot of blades & other large components being delivered. However, new technology is emerging every day such as Vestas, a world leading seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines is developing a 100% recyclable wind turbine blade through the CETEC project.
Advice for candidates looking for jobs in the renewable sector
We recently asked Adrian, one of our senior recruitment consultants, exactly this question! Adrian’s top 3 tips were:
Understand the global scene and your own market / country / region (growth, potential, drawbacks, opportunities)
Each country & world government has a different approach to the renewable industry & net zero targets, meaning there is a much greater emphasis depending on where you are located. The market is constantly evolving therefore it is crucial to stay up to date with developments around the world! It is not uncommon for companies to acquire visas for the correct individual to work! This means if you do your research & get ahead of the game, you could land huge roles anywhere in the world!
Working in the industry is a great way to help build a more sustainable future & give you a sense of pride in your every day profession. Understand and visualize which part can you take on that? Where do you see yourself with that goal?
Everybody’s skillset is unique to them, everybody takes pride in different things & everybody has their own unique way of thinking. Renewable company’s are crying out for talented individuals to enter the industry, whether you are switching industry’s & have acquired transferable skills, or you are fresh to the working world – there is opportunity everywhere. Sectors range right across the board, from labourers on the tools right to IT professionals & project planning; senior & entry level positions alike! There is no better industry on Earth to give you a sense of pride in your work, knowing that you are contributing to a more sustainable tomorrow! There is no ‘Planet B’ & there is no better time to get involved than right now.
If you are switching industries, understand which skills you already have and analyse which ones you need and how you could get them.
We have already touched on this subject but it is a huge misconception that working in the renewable industry is only for the lucky few. If it were up to us, everybody would be working in the industry! It became a huge ‘wow factor’ if somebody told you they worked in renewable energy; whilst it is still a huge achievement, it is not as unattainable as commonly believed! So many current trades & professions have transferrable & desirable skills. Engineers, technicians, electricians & so many more have skillsets already desired in the industry. There is also demand for IT professionals, so if you are somebody who doesn’t see themselves as very manual labour driven there is still massive opportunity for you to transition to the industry.
Project management, Technical expertise, HSE (Health, Safety & Environment) Knowledge, Regulatory Compliance, Data Analysis, Problem Solving, Leadership & Adaptability are all among the list of highly desired skillsets which are all transferable for a successful transition into renewables; tailoring your CV & Cover letter to highlight these skills can be extremely beneficial when standing out in the industry – particularly when you are looking to land your first role!
Our consultants are all active on LinkedIn & are always happy to have a chat with you if you are considering getting into the industry or you have more questions!
How to access SK services:
Samuel Knight has a whole host of world-renowned clients we work with & maintain strong relationships continuously. We work to fill vacancies every single day to keep the industry moving.
Samuel Knights services can be accessed multiple ways, firstly check out our newly revamped website at www.samuel-knight.com which makes it simpler than ever to access our services; the simplest way for candidates is to use our ‘CV drop’ tool, this will add you to our talent pool & one of our consultants will be in touch with you to discuss your aspirations so that we can work to place you in suitable roles. Once you drop us your updated CV, you can sit back & we will do the rest!
There are also many more services available on our website! If you know exactly what kind of position you are looking for, we have a daily updated job listing page under the ‘Current Opportunities’ subheading, which you can filter through using our many tags to tailor the listings to your needs.
You can also follow us on LinkedIn! We regularly post industry updates & it is the best way to hear about job opportunities we are actively hiring for. Additionally, connect with as many of our recruitment consultants as you can – the team post new jobs constantly & being connected on LinkedIn means you will be among the first applicants. They are also always available to chat & give you more information about a job, helping you decide whether or not a position is for you!
“Disclaimer: This blog post is a guest contribution by Samuel Knight. All opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of HI-ACT. HI-ACT is not affiliated with the views, opinions, or content presented in this post.”
Revolutionizing Grid Stability: Hydrogen-Based Bidirectional Storage for Primary Frequency Response
In the dynamic landscape of renewable energy integration, maintaining grid stability is a pivotal challenge. As the world shifts towards sustainable energy sources, the high penetration of renewable energy sources can lead to frequency deviations in the electrical grid. To address this issue, Adib Allahham of Northumbria University, along with David Greenwood, Charalampos Patisos, and Sara Walker of Newcastle University, and Phil Taylor of Bristol University have recently published a paper entitled “Primary Frequency Response from Hydrogen-Based Bidirectional Vector Coupling Storage: Modelling and Demonstration using Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation.”
Dr Adib Allahan
The Hydrogen Revolution
Hydrogen has emerged as a key avenue in the pursuit of clean and efficient energy storage solutions. In recent years, researchers and engineers have been exploring its potential to revolutionize the energy sector. The bidirectional vector coupling approach takes this concept a step further by enabling rapid energy conversion and transfer. The process involves utilizing surplus energy generated from renewable sources to produce hydrogen through electrolysis. This stored hydrogen can then be converted back into electricity using fuel cells when demand surges or the renewable energy supply fluctuates.
Primary frequency response is a critical aspect of grid stability, referring to the immediate correction of frequency deviations caused by sudden disturbances. Conventional methods rely heavily on synchronous generators, which might not be as agile when dealing with the inherent variability of renewable energy sources. This is where the paper’s pioneering approach comes into play. By harnessing the power of hydrogen-based bidirectional vector coupling storage, the researchers propose a solution that offers rapid response times and dynamic control, making it a potential game-changer for grid stability enhancement.
To validate their theoretical concepts and demonstrate the viability of their approach, the authors utilize power-hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) simulation. This sophisticated technique involves integrating physical hardware components with advanced software simulations, enabling a realistic emulation of real-world scenarios. Through PHIL simulation, the researchers can closely examine the system’s behaviour, responsiveness, and interactions with the grid under various conditions. This empirical validation solidifies the paper’s findings and lays the foundation for future real-world implementations.
Implications, future prospects and conclusions
The findings presented in this paper hold profound implications for the future of grid stability and renewable energy integration. The hydrogen-based bidirectional vector coupling storage system showcases its potential to be a reliable and responsive provider of primary frequency response. As renewable energy sources continue to play an increasingly significant role in the global energy mix, innovations like these pave the way for a more resilient and adaptable electrical grid. By bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and practical applications through PHIL simulation, the researchers have opened new avenues for collaboration and development in the field.
The paper “Primary Frequency Response from Hydrogen-Based Bidirectional Vector Coupling Storage: Modelling and Demonstration using Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation” authored by Adib Allahham, David Greenwood, Charalampos Patisos, Sara Walker, and Phil Taylor, showcases a solution to a pressing challenge. As Hydrogen emerges as one of the key vectors to tackling the climate crisis, HI-ACT will fund and support research such as this to facilitate the integration of hydrogen into the UK’s existing energy systems.
Paper citation: Allahham, Adib, et al. “Primary Frequency Response from Hydrogen-based Bidirectional Vector Coupling Storage: Modelling and Demonstration using Power-Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation.” Frontiers in Energy Research 11: 1217070.
Who is behind HI-ACT?
Find out more about the team behind this ambitious project
Revolutionizing Grid Stability: Hydrogen-Based Bidirectional Storage for Primary Frequency Response
In the dynamic landscape of renewable energy integration, maintaining grid stability is a pivotal challenge. As the world shifts towards sustainable energy sources, the high penetration of renewable energy sources can lead to frequency deviations in the electrical grid. To address this issue, Adib Allahham of Northumbria University, along with David Greenwood, Charalampos Patisos, and Sara Walker of Newcastle University, and Phil Taylor of Bristol University have recently published a paper entitled “Primary Frequency Response from Hydrogen-Based Bidirectional Vector Coupling Storage: Modelling and Demonstration using Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation.”
Dr Adib Allahan
The Hydrogen Revolution
Hydrogen has emerged as a key avenue in the pursuit of clean and efficient energy storage solutions. In recent years, researchers and engineers have been exploring its potential to revolutionize the energy sector. The bidirectional vector coupling approach takes this concept a step further by enabling rapid energy conversion and transfer. The process involves utilizing surplus energy generated from renewable sources to produce hydrogen through electrolysis. This stored hydrogen can then be converted back into electricity using fuel cells when demand surges or the renewable energy supply fluctuates.
Primary frequency response is a critical aspect of grid stability, referring to the immediate correction of frequency deviations caused by sudden disturbances. Conventional methods rely heavily on synchronous generators, which might not be as agile when dealing with the inherent variability of renewable energy sources. This is where the paper’s pioneering approach comes into play. By harnessing the power of hydrogen-based bidirectional vector coupling storage, the researchers propose a solution that offers rapid response times and dynamic control, making it a potential game-changer for grid stability enhancement.
To validate their theoretical concepts and demonstrate the viability of their approach, the authors utilize power-hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) simulation. This sophisticated technique involves integrating physical hardware components with advanced software simulations, enabling a realistic emulation of real-world scenarios. Through PHIL simulation, the researchers can closely examine the system’s behaviour, responsiveness, and interactions with the grid under various conditions. This empirical validation solidifies the paper’s findings and lays the foundation for future real-world implementations.
Implications, future prospects and conclusions
The findings presented in this paper hold profound implications for the future of grid stability and renewable energy integration. The hydrogen-based bidirectional vector coupling storage system showcases its potential to be a reliable and responsive provider of primary frequency response. As renewable energy sources continue to play an increasingly significant role in the global energy mix, innovations like these pave the way for a more resilient and adaptable electrical grid. By bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and practical applications through PHIL simulation, the researchers have opened new avenues for collaboration and development in the field.
The paper “Primary Frequency Response from Hydrogen-Based Bidirectional Vector Coupling Storage: Modelling and Demonstration using Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation” authored by Adib Allahham, David Greenwood, Charalampos Patisos, Sara Walker, and Phil Taylor, showcases a solution to a pressing challenge. As Hydrogen emerges as one of the key vectors to tackling the climate crisis, HI-ACT will fund and support research such as this to facilitate the integration of hydrogen into the UK’s existing energy systems.
Paper citation: Allahham, Adib, et al. “Primary Frequency Response from Hydrogen-based Bidirectional Vector Coupling Storage: Modelling and Demonstration using Power-Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation.” Frontiers in Energy Research 11: 1217070.
In Newcastle’s answer to question 4, particular focus was given to protecting consumer’s rights to switch suppliers. It could be considered unfair that individuals could not “opt-out” of the trial, as everyone within the village would have to transition from natural gas to hydrogen. To mediate this, the government recognised that consumers their right to switch suppliers should be protected, and that the billing and payment process is no more complicated than current arrangements.
In response to question 5, Newcastle strongly believed that no consumers in the trial area should be financially disadvantaged because of the trial taking place. In the answer, research was referenced which showed that cost is consistently a high priority for energy consumers, and that some consumers have less capacity for involvement in innovation. In response the government ensured that no one participating in the trial would be financially disadvantaged from taking part, including installation and maintenance of new systems and appliances in homes. They also recognised that consumers should not pay more for hydrogen than natural gas and would be working with the gas networks to achieve this.
Our Conclusions
Finally, Newcastle proposed that all data collected during the trial should be anonymised to protect consumers, and that agreements on access to data should be clearly outlined prior to the trial. In response, the government strategy will include a section on how consumers data will be used and protected.
Given Newcastle’s ethos of inclusivity and fairness, we are pleased that our response contributed to the governments understanding in such a positive way. The University are also continuing its important work in Hydrogen research and will continue to work with key stakeholders to conduct research and disseminate the findings. We are also working to make our research findings more accessible to the public and will soon be starting a hydrogen podcast series to introduce more people to the research being conducted by HI-ACT.
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