Global Hydrogen Production Technologies (HyPT) Center
Lead Research Organisation:
CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY
Department Name: Faculty of Engineering & Applied Science
Abstract
The Global Hydrogen Production Technologies (HyPT) Center will establish a complementary and comprehensive team with 34 leading scholars from 19 institutions in 6 countries (US, Australia, Canada, UK, Egypt and Germany) to formulate the pathway to large-scale net-zero hydrogen production from a bespoke platform of complementary technologies as an enabler of global decarbonization and with costs competitive to current methods of hydrogen production. The Center will propel three major hydrogen production technologies with strong potential to deliver breakthroughs: (i) water electrolysis including renewable energy integration and emerging electrolyzers; (ii) methane pyrolysis with solid carbon as value-added co-products; and (iii) photocatalytic solar water splitting. The Center will also tackle two major cross-cutting challenges for hydrogen: (i) the socio-economic dimensions to build a hydrogen economy spanning economics, policies and market; and (ii) the water resource/treatment dimensions for electrolysis and photocatalysis. Each funding partner country will lead one thrust area, while researchers from all the countries will be interwoven under the thrust areas to work synergistically with a common goal to accelerate technology development and deployment across the globe. The centre is led Arizona State University in the US with the participation of Cranfield, Birmingham, Cambridge, Imperial College London and Newcastle Universities from the UK.
Publications
Palanivel T
(2025)
Exploring properties of hyperbranched polymers in anion exchange membranes for fuel cells and its potential integration for water electrolysis: A review
in Journal of Energy Chemistry
Willner BJ
(2024)
Correlation between the Molecular Properties of Semiconducting Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity and Their Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production.
in Journal of the American Chemical Society
| Description | Invited speaker for UKCRIC to include work on HyPT |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | collaboration with Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières |
| Organisation | University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | joint research effort on developing anion exchange membranes and electrolysers |
| Collaborator Contribution | joint research effort on developing anion exchange membranes and electrolysers. joint area of interest was identified and joint review article published |
| Impact | joint research effort on developing anion exchange membranes and electrolysers. joint area of interest was identified and joint review article published URL of DOI is above |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | (HiTemp) Forum, 21-23 October, 2024, Adelaide |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Key note: Policies to Foster Hydrogen: UK perspective, Session 5: Policy, Regulation and Finance, High Temperature Minerals Processing (HiTemp) Forum, 21-23 October, 2024, Adelaide |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | : DESNZ H2 production team visiting Cranfield |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | DESNZ hydrogen production team hosted on campus to include HyPT work |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | A global perspective: introduction to the Global Hydrogen Production Technologies (HyPT) Center, HyDEX Hydrogen Summer School |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at the HyDEX Summer School |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | DESNZ Hydrogen Delivery Council - Environmental Impacts Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Environmental impacts workshop, ITM power, Sheffield |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | DESNZ Whitehall visit - HyPT team |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Mutiple participants from the HyPT team. Two directorates in DESNZ visited: Hydrogen & Industrial Carbon Capture (HICC) Directorate and Science & Innovation for Climate and Energy Directorate (SICE), Whitehall, London. CESS presentations covered Cranfield Hydrogen research, HyPT PEM thrust and econometric modelling. All sessions are recorded. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Guest webinar for UKCRIC (15 attendees and recorded) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited to undertake a webinar on research activities including HyPT |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Introduction to Global Hydrogen Production Technologies Center (HyPT), UK Mission to the European Union, Clean tech and green energy visit, |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | , Introduction to Global Hydrogen Production Technologies Center (HyPT), UK Mission to the European Union, Clean tech and green energy visit, Cranfield University |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Novel hydrogen production technologies and society: a global research agenda, Network-H2 Research Conference 2024 (4/7/2024) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Key note and discussions around hydrogen systems and network building to co-ordinate research activities and understand stakeholder goals |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | OEC conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited key note speaker to energy insurance sector |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Online survey and engagement with policymakers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | 1. Engagement with policymakers via a survey on drought risk experiences in the context of the WEF nexus and early warning systems. The survey is still underway. 2. the survey is taking place within Morocco 3. Policymakers at national and regional level within Morocco. The survey is still underway. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Panel Debate: How do we Solve a Problem like Hydrogen? What is the Future for Hydrogen in the Drive for Decarbonisation and Net Zero? (9/10/2024) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A Joint Professional Engineering Institutions Event, IET South Yorkshire Local Network, Panel Debate, University of Sheffield |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Policymakers workshop, Water Energy Food Nexus and Drought risk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | 1. Policymaker participants from the INRA connected to the Ministry of Agriculture in Morocco attended a half day workshop with the research team in Rabat, Morocco on 2nd March 2023. - The findings of the drought indicator survey and feedback from interview data was presented. This will enhance the data set for the project. - A series of discussion questions were raised addressing policy decisions and drought experiences with reference to WEF. This informs the projects work on trade-offs within WEF. - There was a sharing of ideas on how the research could be used and integrated and how this could influence thinking and decision making around drought risk and early warning systems within Morocco. (Note the data is still being assimilated). 2. The workshop took place in Morocco 3. Policymakers within the INRA in Morocco. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation to DESNZ International Hydrogen Team |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Members of the International Hydrogen Team within DESNZ visited us to discuss the HyPT project particularly the cross=border nature of the work and DESNZ research gaps we could seek to incorporate |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Semi-structured interviews with farming communities |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 1. Semi-structured interviews took place to discuss the MADIS project and potential areas of support it could offer. This involved gaining insights into the issues the participants were facing in terms of drought with reference to the WEF nexus. It also showed significant differences in experiences within Morocco where the same weather conditions prevail but where policy or access to policy may differ. Different irrigation, energy sources and crop selection choices were noted. The interviews have prompted a further round of engagement with some participants to expand upon their answers which will integrate into indicator selection. 2. Morocco, although the findings will have application to similar regions globally as it informs the drought indicator and WEF project with global reach, 3. Location was around within farming communities in and around Settat, Morocco. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Speaker, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, USA (13-15 February 2025) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Speaker on Integrating Multidisciplinary and Use-Inspired Approaches to Global Challenges - 13-15 February 2025, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, USA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | The Korean Electrochemical Society, Electrochemical technology for hydrogen and upcycling of waste materials (H2 & Upcycling), Dongkuk University, Seoul, South Korea (20-21 February 2025) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Speaking and engagement on Transition to a hydrogen economy as a socio-technical process, N Balta-Ozkan international event, S Korea, Australia, France, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, USA, China, Serbian Ambassador to Seoul) 20-21 February 2025, The Korean Electrochemical Society, Electrochemical technology for hydrogen and upcycling of waste materials (H2 & Upcycling), Dongkuk University, Seoul, South Korea |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Visit to Navajo Tech Transitions to a low carbon economy: socio-technical process, |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation and engagement with students within the Navajo community to foster trust and relationship building. This is a precursor for further research and engagement. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Workshop and interviews with farming communities in South Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Engaged with communities to discuss and understand their lived experience of drought. These insights are to be drawn into the project to help rank the drought risk indicators. The discussions and data collection techniques (interviews, workshop (fuzzy cognitive mapping) help communities to articulate their experiences and to visualise how impacts of drought are far reaching and beyond narrow discussions around water availability. The workshops sparked debate and discussion about experiences and the cause and effect of drought on their communities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Workshop and interviews with farming communities in Turkey |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Workshop with over 50 policymakers, plus two workshops with farming communities |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |