Hydrogen Integration for Accelerated Energy Transitions
Published: 22 June 2022
Hydrogen and alternative liquid fuels have a key role to play in supporting the UK’s energy system to transition away from fossil fuels and help us achieve net zero targets. However, achieving wider adoption of hydrogen requires us to overcome not only technical barriers, but also organisational, regulatory, societal, and financial barriers.
What do individual energy users think about hydrogen as a fuel source? What are the perceived risks? What infrastructure and logistical support is required for producing and transporting hydrogen? How should policy makers support or mandate for this transition? What is the role of current energy suppliers and their workforce? And what financial models would best support the future of the UK’s energy economy?
The Hydrogen Integration for Accelerated Energy Transitions (HI-ACT) Centre is a new investment from EPSRC, led by Prof Sara Walker (Newcastle University), with Prof David Flynn (University of Glasgow) and Prof Jianzhong Wu (Cardiff University). Its long-term aim is to carry out interdisciplinary research (both qualitative and quantitative) to map the complex relationships, interdependences, risks, expectations and needs of energy citizens and stakeholders in order to identify, understand, and critique potential pathways to hydrogen integration in UK energy systems.
An initial 6-month engagement phase (April – October 2022) aims to consult key stakeholders and develop a comprehensive, co-created research programme for the Centre’s future work. The team will deliver a range of activities (in person and virtual) including workshops, surveys, webinars and focus groups in order to co-create an expertise map for hydrogen integration, an information pack containing the state of the art "commons", and a full proposal with comprehensive research programme which has extensive community buy-in.
The project team will also engage with a range of academics including social scientists with expertise on (for example) blockchain and financial technology; energy security and (inter)national politics; individuals, communities and energy citizenship; just transition and labour market implications; automation, agency and decision making. The core leadership team will use this six month period time to build a broader multi-disciplinary consortium.
Find out more about upcoming consultation workshops (July 2022).
You can also take part in a stakeholder engagement survey.
Why Digital Society and Economy?
It is clear that digital solutions will be central to the widespread adoption of hydrogen and alternative liquid fuels: whether it be from a financial perspective (e.g. the use of block chain in developing suitable economic models); infrastructure (e.g. how hydrogen fits into digitisation of the national grid); workforce (e.g. upskilling for new technology); and end-users (e.g. how individuals perceive and relate to technologies that both use and enable hydrogen as a low-carbon fuel).
The integration and de-risking of hydrogen requires a Whole Systems approach, in order to better understand the interconnected and interdependent nature of complex energy systems from a technical, social, environmental and economic perspective. Such a Whole Systems approach is intricately linked to the increasing digital connectivity in our homes and lives.
Follow the project on twitter: @HIACT_
First published: 22 June 2022
Glasgow researchers:
Prof David Flynn (James Watt School of Engineering)
External researchers:
Prof Sara Walker (Newcastle University)
Prof Jianzhong Wu (Cardiff University)
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council