Robert Gordon University (RGU) has landed a major funding boost to accelerate low-carbon energy solutions through the production of hydrogen by capturing the waste steam that comes from nuclear energy facilities with a view to scaling it up.
Professor Nadimul Faisal and his team of researchers at the School of Computing, Engineering and Technology (SoCET) secured £800,000 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to advance next-generation hydrogen production technology.
The project will pioneer advances in solid oxide steam electrolysers (SOSE), a highly efficient technology that produces clean hydrogen using electricity and heat from renewable and nuclear sources. This builds on the work already carried out by the SoCET researchers, who designed a tubular cell that can withstand the high temperatures associated with SOSE systems which operate at between 600 °C to 900 °C.
Professor Nadimul Faisal said: “Hydrogen is central to achieving the UK’s net-zero goals. This investment allows us to push forward the science and engineering needed to make solid oxide steam electrolysis commercially viable, while creating new opportunities for sustainable innovation in partnership with industry.”
Known as METASIS 2.0 (UKRI3156), this research is part of the METASIS project (EP/W033178/1) led by Professor Faisal. It is being delivered in partnership with the University of Surrey, Aston University, and the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), as well as more than a dozen other partners spanning industry, academia, research and network alliances.
Dr Bahman Amini Horri, University of Surrey, commented, “We are developing the next generation of steam electrolysers to produce sustainable hydrogen in an efficient and affordable way. The technology uses innovative heterogeneous electrolyte composites recently developed at the University of Surrey, which are integrated into coating layers applied to traditional porous ferritic steel tubes, serving as a cost-effective manufacturing method.”
Together, these collaborations highlight the UK’s commitment to advancing innovative, low-carbon hydrogen technologies that can integrate with both renewable and nuclear energy systems.
