Discover How Greater Brighton Is Championing The Transition To Hydrogen
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Brighton & Hove Council.
This is the introduction to the news item.
Local experts will present the strengths and opportunities for developing the hydrogen economy in the Sussex area at an online launch on 11 July.
Register for the online launch of the Hydrogen Strategy
Developed by local company Ricardo, on behalf of Hydrogen Sussex, the Greater Brighton Hydrogen Strategy shows that with the right focus, collaboration and action, the region has real potential to stand out within the UK hydrogen landscape and gain economic and environmental benefits.
Brighton & Hove Council seem to be taking a sensible approach, but then they do have one of the world’s most respected hydrogen companies; Ricardo, a few miles to the West.
This section outlines, how Brighton is embracing hydrogen.
Hydrogen is a fast-growing sector with the potential to enable decarbonisation, support national energy security, create green growth and improve air quality.
The Greater Brighton and wider Sussex area has already broken ground in the Hydrogen industry, with advanced engineering, education and research being very well represented. Local initiatives include:
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- Hydrogen buses: Metrobus has just launched 15 hydrogen buses to serve the Crawley and Gatwick area, with a further 34 hydrogen buses joining their fleet over the next 18 months.
- Shoreham Port: The port is working with partners H2Green to create a Green Energy Hub, producing green hydrogen in a multi-megawatt electrolysis plant – initially for Shoreham Port, and then supplying green hydrogen across the region.
- Maritime sector: Sussex’s engineering companies are at the forefront of hydrogen decarbonisation in the maritime sector. Bramble Energy, Cox Marine, Ceres Power and Ricardo are just some of the local companies which have received Government funding to tackle marine decarbonisation.
- Sussex and Brighton universities: The two universities in the area have PHD studies on innovations in the sector, with Brighton University partnering with companies to win government research funding.
- Worthing Crematorium: Could become the first in the world to trial a switch to 100% hydrogen. If testing is successful with cremator manufacturer DFW Europe, hydrogen technology will be brought over to Worthing Crematorium as early as spring 2024.
The region is already home to several hydrogen technology companies and has a strong capacity for innovation which could be developed to expand its engineering excellence.
That list looks fairly comprehensive.
Conclusion
Other towns, cities and regions in the UK, should look at what Brighton is doing, with respect to hydrogen.
Articles From The Engineer
I generally read articles from The Engineer once a week.
Here’s a few that are worth reading.
12th Feburuary 2023 – Hydrogen Ambulance Set For London
A project led by hydrogen fuel specialists ULEMCo is aiming to deliver the UK’s first zero emission hydrogen ambulance later this year
There is an interesting discussion, as to whether hydrogen or battery ambulances are better. Range and hotel power issues seem to favour hydrogen.
11th May 2023 – Bramble Energy Secures £12m For Hydrogen Bus
Bramble Energy has joined forces with Equipmake, Aeristech and Bath University to develop a new hydrogen double-deck bus integrating its printed circuit board fuel cell (PCBFC) technology
Bramble Energy can create bespoke fuel cell stacks in a ‘matter of days at scale and low-cost’.
12th May 2023 – Cornish Geothermal Project Leads Government Heat Scheme
The UK’s first deep geothermal heat network is one of seven new projects to receive funding as part of a new government programme to decarbonise buildings across England.
The full list of projects to receive support today via the Green Heat Networks Fund is detailed.
17th May 2023 – Ricardo Joins Pan-European Hydrogen Shipping Consortium
UK engineering firm Ricardo is set to play a key role in the sustainable HYdrogen powered Shipping (sHYpS) project being funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.
One thing that is disclosed in the article, is that Ricardo have a new 400kW hydrogen fuel cell test chamber at the company’s UK headquarters.
£77 Million Investment For UK Heavy Duty And Commercial Vehicle Projects
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
These are the projects.
Ford to design, develop, and build a fleet of 8 hydrogen fuel cell powered Transit vans, with the latest advances in technology
£8 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £16.3 million.
This research project will design and develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered version of the Ford Transit van, with a Ford Dagenham estate facility re-purposed for upfitting of the vehicle. By bringing the manufacturer, vehicle operator and supply chain businesses together, this project aims to establish a business case for the wider rollout of hydrogen Light Commercial Vehicles.
Project partners include: Ocado, BP, Cygnet Texkimp, Cambustion, Viritech.
Note.
- I suspect Ocado will do the road testing.
- BP will probably supply the hydrogen.
- Cygnet Texkimp are a company based in Northwich and is a leading global provider of fibre handling and converting technology. Have they developed a machine for knitting hydrogen fuel tanks?
- Cambustion‘s Engineering Services team provides powertrain development and testing services to a range of global clients from our Cambridge, UK base.
- Viritech’s web site has a mission statement of Rewiring the DNA of Hydrogen Powertrains.
Ford seem to have assembled a team of all the talents.
Wrightbus to develop a new world-leading zero-emission battery and hydrogen fuel-cell electric, multi-axle vehicles
£6.4 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £12.7 million.
This project will produce a new, market-leading platform for battery and fuel cell electric driven buses. Whilst demand is growing for zero-emission vehicles, there are currently few options available for heavy, multi-axle vehicles like large buses.
Project partners include: Queens University Belfast, Grayson Thermal Systems, Hutchinson Engineering, Translink.
Note.
- Grayson Thermal Systems are based in Birmingham and specialise in providing HVAC for vehicles and especially zero-carbon ones.
- Hutchinson Engineering are based in Widnes and invest in state-of-the-art machinery and technology to give our customers the most advanced, cost-effective solutions in design, fabrication and manufacturing.
- Translink provides public transport in Northern Ireland.
It looks like Wrightbus have excellent partners.
ULEMCo creating a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell range extender for prototype ambulance, fire engine and road sweepers
£3.9 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £7.9 million.
This project will develop a hydrogen fuel cell range extender for electric vehicles used for special purposes, such as ambulances, fire engines and street sweepers. The zero-emissions range extender will be based on existing, proven technology from the Toyota Mirai, and demonstrate how zero emissions vehicles can be used in a wide range of specialised and challenging settings.
Project partners include: Altair Engineering, Emergency One, Technical Services Ltd, Oxon Fire & Rescue Services
Note.
- ULEMCo are based in the Liverpool City Region and it is very much in Liverpudlian DNA to repurpose something that works. Hence the use of The Toyota technology.
- Altair Engineering is a multinational engineering and technology company.
- Emergency One is a Scottish manufacturer of fire engines and emergency vehicles.
- Technical Services Ltd, who are based in Cleckheaton, supply thermal management systems and solutions.
- Oxon Fire & Rescue Services will obviously be doing the testing.
In Hydrogen-Powered Ambulance Drives Into Glasgow Ahead Of London Trial, I wrote about a prototype hydrogen-powered ambulance, that was built by ULEMCo and industry partners, that was shown at COP26.
Is this project turning the prototype into a system, that can be manufactured in large volumes?
Bramble Energy developing a hydrogen double-deck bus, using innovative, low-cost fuel cell technology
£6.3 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £12.7 million.
This project will demonstrate a fuel cell/battery hybrid powertrain on a double-decker bus. This novel product will be cheaper than the equivalents currently available for large vehicles like buses and uses innovative new electronics and energy recovery technologies.
Project partners include: University of Bath, Equipmake, Aeristech
Note.
- Bramble Energy‘s Printed Circuit Board Fuel Cell (PCBFC™) is a patent protected, revolutionary design which leverages existing manufacturing routes from the printed circuit board industry to offer a cost-effective, scalable hydrogen fuel cell solution.
- Equipmake are based at Snetterton in Norfolk.
- In Equipmake Hybrid To Battery Powered LT11, I describe Equipmake’s conversion of a New Routemaster to battery operation.
- Aeristech are based in Crawley and have developed a range of award-winning compressors for Tier-1, OEMs and other customers.
- Is the compressor needed to pump a mixture of hydrogen and air through the fuel cell?
I have a feeling, that this could be a very revolutionary design.
BorgWarner developing hydrogen combustion systems for heavy-duty commercial transport
£4.9 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £9.8 million.
This project aims to speed up the rollout of hydrogen-burning internal combustion engines, as an alternative to diesel. Hydrogen is a clean fuel, producing only water when burned. Project Cavendish will develop new fuel and air management systems, so that existing heavy duty diesel technologies can be repurposed to use hydrogen as fuel.
Project partners include: Mahle, Cambustion, Hartridge
Note.
- BorgWarner is a large American automotive supplier.
- Mahle is a large German automotive supplier.
- Cambustion‘s Engineering Services team provides powertrain development and testing services to a range of global clients from our Cambridge, UK base.
- Since the brand formation in 1930 Hartridge, who are based in Buckingham, has become a world leader in diesel fuel injection test equipment.
- Project Cavendish is obviously named after Henry Cavendish, who discovered hydrogen.
In Ricardo Supports Industry Leaders To Develop Innovative Dedicated Hydrogen Engine, I talk about another project involving BorgWarner. Is Project Cavendish a follow-on from the original project or a new one?
Leyland Trucks scaling up the production of electric trucks through innovations in automation and advanced testing
£2.6 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £5.1 million.
By better use of automation and advanced testing, Leyland Trucks aim to increase productivity and step up their production of battery electric trucks. A ‘digital twin’ of the Leyland production line will be set up, meaning any changes can be run in simulation before being rolled out physically.
Project partners include: Expert Tooling, HSSMI
Note.
- Leyland Trucks is one of Britain’s leading manufacturing companies. It is PACCAR’s established centre for light and medium duty truck design, development and manufacture. The company is based in Leyland.
- Expert Technologies are specialists in delivering industrial automation solutions. The company is based in Coventry.
- HSSMI is a sustainable manufacturing consultancy.
As I have done a lot of simulation in my time, I’m very much in favour of digital twins.
JLR leading a consortium research project to develop a high-efficiency and highly integrated 800V inverter designed and built in the UK
£6.3 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £12.6 million.
This project will explore and develop technology for inverters – a key component in electric vehicles. As well as developing a best-in-class product, this work will support the growth of a UK supply chain in components for electric vehicles.
Project partners include: University of Bristol, Custom Interconnect Ltd, API Capacitors Ltd
Note.
- JLR is Jaguar Land Rover.
- Custom Interconnect is an advanced electronics manufacturing company, which is based in Andover.
- API Capacitors is the UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of high quality power capacitors for power electronic applications. The company is based in Great Yarmouth.
I suspect this invertor will have several applications.
Conclusion
The grants seem to have been widely spread around the UK.
The Anonymous Widower 