UK project of GBP 10m to explore ocean energy-to-hydrogen conversion

Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde said on Friday it is leading a GBP-10-million (USD 13.8m/EUR 11.7m) research project to explore the potential of turning offshore wind and marine renewable energy into hydrogen and ammonia fuels for use in heating, energy storage and decarbonisation of transport.

The five-year Ocean Renewable Energy Fuels (Ocean-REFuel) project will bring together researchers from the Universities of Nottingham, Cardiff, Newcastle and Imperial College London, as well as 28 industrial partners, among whom BP, Scottish Power, National Grid and ENI. Supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the project will deliver a blueprint for the first integrated Ocean Renewable Fuel production facility, according to the announcement.

According to Professor Sir Jim McDonald of the University of Strathclyde, the cross-UK team will lead the way for future hydrogen production from a huge sustainable offshore resource.

“The waters around the UK offer abundant prospects for clean energy. Ensuring that we can tap the full potential of our natural resources will be vital in meeting our bold climate change commitments,” said Minister for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

In addition to addressing energy transition challenges such as storage and hard-to-decarbonise energy uses like heating and transport, offshore wind-to-hydrogen represents an export opportunity for the UK.

The project comes as Glasgow is getting ready to host the UN COP26 Climate Change Conference later this year.

(GBP 1.0 = USD 1.376/EUR 1.169)

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