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."
Professor Mamdud Hossain of RGU, said: “RGU has built an excellent reputation in hydrogen research, both applied through a number of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP’s) and increasingly on curiosity-driven research as evidenced by the back-to-back EPSRC grants.”
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.”
Dr Mark Bankhead, United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), said: “We at UKNNL are looking forward to supporting the team and to encourage the development of low-TRL technologies that could increase the potential of new nuclear to drive decarbonisation. Having supported the team in the previous grant award, we are delighted to have the opportunity to continue this potentially groundbreaking research that could utilise both the heat and electrical power from a nuclear reactor to produce low carbon hydrogen fuel.
Dr Amirpiran Amiri, Aston University, added: “At Aston, in collaboration with our academic and industry partners, we are exploring various approaches to reduce the cost and carbon footprint of hydrogen production. METASIS 2.0 is a promising project in this effort, as it aims to lower the demand for expensive electrical power by partially replacing it with waste heat.”
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. The METASIS project represents a significant step toward achieving affordable, sustainable hydrogen production to support the nation’s net-zero ambitions.