We're thrilled to announce that our HyScale hydrogen storage project has received £450,000 in funding from our regulator.
Insufficient transmission capacity for wind power means the UK is losing £1 billion per year*. HyScale is exploring how we can harness this curtailed wind energy to produce green hydrogen gas, which can be stored as a renewable energy resource.
This funding comes from Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), in partnership with Innovate UK. SIF was established to address key challenges facing the UK’s energy sector in meeting net zero ambitions: whole-system integration, data and digitalisation, zero-emission transport and heat.
Hydrogen stored in a liquid is a potential carbon neutral solution to the problem of mass storage and transportation of electricity. It can be used at periods of high demand when renewables are not generating electricity, the power grids are at capacity, or when customers can’t access energy where they need it.
Josephine Tunney
Innovation Project Manager
Hydrogen storage in liquid organics
Green hydrogen produced through wind-powered electrolysis can be absorbed by Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs) which are essentially simple and readily available chemicals.
The resulting hydrogen-containing liquids can be stored in low-cost containers or tanks, maintaining the quality of hydrogen over time. When needed, the hydrogen is released from the liquid carrier and delivered through pipelines, just as natural gas is distributed today.
The project aims to optimise the design of an LOHC system for use in the UK. It will also find a suitable location for a demonstration project.
Innovation Project Manager Josephine Tunney
Leading on HyScale is Innovation Project Manager Josephine Tunney, who joined us in June this year. Josephine has a PhD in chemistry and experience in a broad range of roles covering chemistry, education, innovation and business development.
Josephine said: “This funding will take us a step closer to realising the potential of organic hydrogen carriers for bulk hydrogen storage in the UK.
“Hydrogen stored in a liquid is a potential carbon neutral solution to the problem of mass storage and transportation of electricity. It can be used at periods of high demand when renewables are not generating electricity, the power grids are at capacity, or when customers can’t access energy where they need it.
“Understanding how and where we can store hydrogen is crucial as we evaluate the role of hydrogen in a decarbonised whole energy system."
We’re building on the success of three previous HyScale projects funded by the Network Innovation Allowance (NIA) and will be supported by Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, National Gas Transmission and Wales and West Utilities.
Read the full funding announcement from Ofgem here: Strategic Innovation Fund Round 3 Alpha Funding Decision | Ofgem
* https://policyexchange.org.uk/publication/turning-wasted-wind-into-clean-hydrogen/
