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hitting the accelerator

university partners making available
their £111 million worth of hydrogen HYDEX AT A GLANCE: CREATING A NEW
facilities, large-scale demonstration
programmes, and research capabilities HYDROGEN ECONOMY IN THE MIDLANDS
to regional businesses.
This will be supported by the expertise HyDEX IS DESIGNED to support and businesses to allow them to
of leading industrial partners in foster the creation of a new hydrogen accelerate the development of
transport, heating and manufacturing industrial economy in the Midlands. new hydrogen products, transition
technologies, who are also involved This will be achieved by working from declining industrial sectors,
in HyDEX. These include Worcester with SMEs, established Midlands- train and re-skill, demonstrate the
Bosch and Cadent (hydrogen boilers based and UK commercial partners, viability of new products, and – by
and gas networks), Intelligent Energy and multinationals to accelerate working with local government
(fuel cells), Toyota (hydrogen vehicles), innovation, build markets and and local authorities – support the
FAUN Zoeller (heavy vehicles), Cenex, support the required skills transition. creation of a market for low carbon
ENGIE (hydrogen networks), Progressive The three-year programme will hydrogen solutions as part of the net
Energy, ITM Motive (hydrogen create a platform in which the zero transition.
generation and transport respectively), university partners associated with The ERA universities will also
Siemens and ENGIE (hydrogen the Midlands-based Energy Research use their international connections
production and storage). Accelerator (ERA), will make to link businesses with growing
The universities involved in the available their hydrogen facilities international markets in countries
programme include Keele as the project and expertise, and the large-scale such as China, Australia and
lead, Aston, Birmingham, Cranfield, hydrogen demonstrators that they South Korea to build commercial
Loughborough, Nottingham and have developed. opportunities that reach beyond the
Warwick. Civic partners such as the The project will work with Midlands and the UK.
Midlands Engine, LEPs, local government
and local authorities will also add their
weight to support the creation of a market programme. It will be a great challenge Keele has previously demonstrated
for low carbon hydrogen solutions as part – we are seeking to support the building the promise of hydrogen through the
of the net zero transition. of a hydrogen economy where one landmark HyDeploy project, which took
There is also an international currently doesn’t exist. I am confident place on campus in 2020. The study,
dimension to HyDEX, which that with our academic, industrial and which was conducted in collaboration
will facilitate links with growing public sector partners, we will be able to with Cadent, successfully integrated
international markets in countries demonstrate the commercial potential hydrogen into Keele’s campus gas
such as China, Australia and South of hydrogen technologies, support network, demonstrating hydrogen’s
Korea, where ERA partners have businesses to create products, and build potential to considerably reduce carbon
strong connections, in order to build the skills base needed to support the emissions connected with domestic and
commercial opportunities that reach transition to hydrogen.” commercial heating and cooking.
beyond the Midlands and the UK. Wesley Tivnen, Decarbonisation Lead In September 2021, HyDeploy released
Speaking about HyDEX, Professor for Siemens Energy (UK and Ireland), a report hailing the first trails of blending
Mark Ormerod, Deputy Vice-Chancellor said: “For Siemens Energy and the hydrogen into a natural gas network
and Provost of Keele University, said: other business partners involved in the a success, paving the way for larger
“We are very excited to be launching programme, HyDEX provides a unique demonstrations on a public gas network.
the HyDEX programme and leading it opportunity for us to develop and test One hundred homes and 30 university
from Keele University. At Keele we have our technologies and prove the worth buildings on the private gas network at
been leading the way in researching of hydrogen as a crucial green energy Keele University received the blended
the use of hydrogen in the domestic gas source for the UK and world, as we gas for a period of 18 months, ending in
heating system and in smart energy transition to a net zero society.” spring 2021. Customers used hydrogen
systems. This experience and expertise, blended gas safely in their homes and
when combined with the wealth of without the need to make any changes to
knowledge in the ERA partnership and THE BENEFITS OF HyDEX their existing appliances.
our collaborators will enable HyDEX to Heating homes and industry accounts
make a significant impact on the use of HyDEX will: for nearly half of all energy use in the UK
hydrogen in the future.” 1. Develop a hydrogen economy and one third of the country’s carbon
Professor Martin Freer, Director of that builds on the Midlands’ emissions. If hydrogen were blended with
the Energy Research Accelerator, added: strength and expertise and which natural gas across the UK at a similar
“The ERA universities have invested is not reliant solely on imports of level to HyDeploy, it could save around
significantly in hydrogen infrastructure, technology and services. six million tonnes of carbon dioxide
creating an array of great facilities and 2. Develop the skills needed in the emissions every year, the equivalent
demonstration projects. The HyDEX new hydrogen economy. of taking 2.5 million cars off the road –
programme will see experts from our 3. Build links to big overseas without any disruption to households.
universities, working with Midlands markets for hydrogen goods and
businesses to use these facilities to services. The Energy Research Accelerator is the
develop new, innovative products.” 4. Support work to help achieve first truly embedded cross-disciplinary
Dr Sharon George of Keele University, the government’s net zero energy research hub in the UK.
Principal Investigator for HyDEX, said: “I commitments. For more information about HyDEX,
am looking forward to leading the HyDEX visit www.era.ac.uk/hydex

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