Our Hydrogen story

Working with our industry partners, we’re proud to have played a critical role in the experimental phase of a future hydrogen revolution or economy by delivering HyDeploy, a live demonstration of blending hydrogen at 20%(vol) with natural gas that was a UK first, and could reduce carbon emissions equivalent to taking 2.5m cars off the road if rolled out nationally.

Domestic heating accounts for nearly half of the UK’s energy usage and a third of the country’s carbon emissions, with around 23 million homes in the UK currently heated by natural gas.

Not only does this damage the environment, but recent world events causing huge fuel price rises show how vulnerable our dependence on gas makes us. Decarbonising our heating systems therefore poses a golden opportunity for both the environment and the economy.

Hydrogen is the simplest, most abundant element in the universe, and has been widely hailed as a major potential player in the fight against climate change. The UK Government first outlined a national ambition for a low carbon hydrogen economy in 2021, and has since said "it has become even clearer that hydrogen must be a core part of the UK’s future energy security as well as plans to meet our legally binding commitment to achieving net zero by 2050." - (PDF).

The case for incorporating hydrogen into our everyday lives is not a case of “if”, but “when”, but to make that transition viable, beneficial, and successful for everyone, it needs to be introduced gradually and safely, with all the proper tests and demonstrations.

Our road to hydrogen

Our journey to hydrogen blending goes hand-in-hand with our long-established sustainability mission. Beginning in the early to mid-2000s when we pursued a “Deep Green” agenda, our search for a sustainable, alternative energy source led to us to hydrogen, with our researchers studying many different facets such as the complexities and challenges of developing hydrogen combustion engines. 

Hydrogen was also being explored by major energy stakeholders including Cadent and Northern Gas Networks, and our shared ambitions led to the formation of the HyDeploy consortium, which worked together to establish the first trial of hydrogen blending in a UK gas network here at Keele University.

Plans were laid to establish the necessary agreements and developments to allow the blending to take place, and thanks to the hard work of all the partners involved, special permission was granted by the Health and Safety Executive’s Science Division, allowing the first of the hydrogen to enter the network in 2019.

How we’ve pioneered hydrogen research

HyDeploy could not have happened at any other university than Keele. Our integrated campus – home to Europe's largest Smart Energy Network Demonstrator and with its own private energy network and on-site renewable energy park - provided the perfect “living laboratory”, while our reputation for pioneering green energy research, technical expertise, and organisational commitment to sustainability, made the partnership a perfect fit. 

Keele’s approach to sustainability is something we’re renowned for, and has caught the attention of industry heavyweights seeking to make a difference and revolutionise their approaches, as well as those at the heart of Government; people like Lord Callanan, who visited our campus during his tenure as Minister for Climate Change, and Claire Perry, the former Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth.