The University of Glamorgan is helping to boost the economy and improve the environment, through the creation of 20 new posts that will drive forward the hydrogen economy in Wales.
The posts encompass chemists, physicists, engineers, biotechnologists, modellers and economists, and will be funded by the £6.3 million CymruH2Wales project that the University launched earlier this year.
CymruH2Wales aims to develop capacity for the industrial development of hydrogen technologies. Hydrogen could have huge environmental and economic benefits in several areas including:
• More efficient management of existing and future renewable electricity generating technologies such as wind, PV and marine through the generation of hydrogen as an energy store during times of peak generation (i.e. where generation exceeds demand). This energy can then be released back to the grid on demand.
• Use of hydrogen (or hydrogen / methane blends) as a transport fuel to replace fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel.
• The generation of biologically derived hydrogen (and methane) gas by using sustainable organic resources such as crops, crop residues, industrial co-products and wastes, recovery and clean-up of gases and utilisation of intermediates for use in manufacturing other low carbon products.
• More efficient generation of electricity and heat within a distributed grid system through the development and deployment of hydrogen fuel cell technologies (which are more efficient at generating electricity than traditional generators).
• The capture and utilisation of hydrogen rich industrial waste gases.
• The integration of hydrogen (and renewable methane) gas into the existing national gas grid.
It is intended that the new posts will conduct research and develop products and processes to support all of these.
Professor Alan Guwy commented, “These posts are a really positive sign that hydrogen research and development can deliver huge economic benefits. We are hoping to attract the best researchers in order to ensure a significant concentration of academic and industrial hydrogen expertise for the project.”
The posts will be spread across eight work packages that include:
H2 Energy Storage – research into the way that hydrogen technologies can integrate with renewables such as wind and solar power to store energy during times of excess generation.
H2 / CH4 Vehicles & Refuelling Infrastructure – development of engine test facilities and utilisation of these to bring hydrogen as a vehicle fuel closer to market. This work package also seeks to further the development of a fledgling hydrogen refuelling network in South Wales.
Bio H2 / CH4 Process Development – evaluation of the potential to generate hydrogen from organic resources available in Wales, and an analysis of the technologies and supply chains required to realise this. This work package will also develop a bio hydrogen production platform which is technically, economically and environmentally optimised for industrial application
Recovery and Clean Up of Product Gases and Intermediates – investigation of the technologies available / required to clean up biological / industrial waste gases so that they can be used in fuel cells, engines and the gas grid. This work package also includes the development of processes for the separation, conversion and recovery of residues and intermediates from the bio hydrogen production process that will allow generation of valuable low carbon products.
Development of Product Gas, Intermediate and By Product End Uses – an assessment of how bio hydrogen can integrate with end use technologies and demonstrating how intermediates and by products from the biological process can be used to manufacture high value, low carbon products.
Economic and Life Cycle Assessment – quantification of the economic viability and environmental sustainability of the processes and products developed.
Project Management– this includes the administrative elements needed to ensure that the project is delivered on time, within budget and meets the objectives outlined below.
Communication, Reporting, Dissemination – dissemination of the knowledge gathered to industry or other relevant stakeholders to encourage the uptake of promising technologies and products.
Recruitment for the posts will start shortly with a view to successful applicants being in post over the summer. For further information on any of the positions please contact Professor Alan Guwy [email protected] or Jon Maddy [email protected]
