University of Portsmouth part of UK-wide drive towards a fully sustainable energy sector

The University of Portsmouth is part of a £55m programme of investment to help drive forward change in the energy system and help to meet the UK’s net zero target by 2050.

Portsmouth joins one of six research hubs and centres, which aim to boost knowledge, create innovative green technologies and reduce demand for energy to achieve greener, cleaner domestic, industrial and transport energy systems.

 The University will receive a share of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding as part of their work with The UK Hub for Research Challenges in Hydrogen and Alternative Liquid Fuels (UK-HyRES); a five year collaboration between several universities including Bath, Sheffield, Warwick, UCL, St Andrews, and Surrey. 

Hydrogen is a clean fuel that when consumed emits only water. Because of this, hydrogen and hydrogen-based, low-carbon liquid fuels, such as ammonia, are essential for the UK to reach net zero emissions. 

The UK-HyRES is one of two hydrogen hubs that have been awarded £10m funding by EPSRC. 

The team will coordinate a national, interdisciplinary programme of research to ensure a pipeline of projects that can deliver commercialisation of hydrogen and alternative liquid fuel technologies that are safe, acceptable, and environmentally, economically and socially sustainable, decoupling fossil fuels from our energy system and delivering greener energy. 

Portsmouth researchers will lead on the 'social' cross-cutting theme, accompanying other cross-cutting research themes in economic, safety and environmental issues, as well as technical themes relating to production, distribution, storage and end-use. 

Dr Chris Jones, Associate Professor in Applied Psychology at the University and Lead of the Technology Acceptance Research Group: Energy technologies (TARG:ET), said: “This investment represents a genuine opportunity to grow the UK's interdisciplinary research and innovation activity around hydrogen and alternative liquid fuel technologies, in a way that is responsive to their environmental, economic, safety and social drivers and impacts. 

“Leading the 'social cross-cutting theme', which constitutes a key aspect of this programme, is clear recognition of the University's significant research and innovation activity in energy and environmental technologies, including hydrogen, and cements a consideration of the social acceptance of these technologies at the heart of their ongoing research and development.”  

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has awarded:

• £15 million for a new Energy Demand Research Centre that will provide solutions for energy demand reduction, understand the impact on consumers, and enable equitable policy decision-making.

• £17.5 million investment in three Supergen research hubs that will boost innovation in energy distribution, both nationally and internationally, and propel discoveries in renewable energy into impactful new technologies.

• £20 million in two hubs that deliver options to integrate clean and sustainable hydrogen into the domestic, industrial and transport energy systems.

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “Our world-leading expertise and knowledge on the latest clean technologies starts in our universities.

“Today’s Government funding will support cutting-edge research across Britain, helping to deliver cleaner, cheaper home-grown renewable energy sources – helping grow our economy and boost our energy security.”

Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, Chief Executive of UKRI, added: “The government has set a target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, requiring rapid decarbonisation of our energy systems. UKRI is leveraging its ability to work across disciplines to support this ambition through a major portfolio of investments that will catalyse innovation and new green energy systems.

“The funding announced today will support researchers and innovators to develop game changing ideas to improve domestic, industrial and transport energy systems.”

Find out about the other projects receiving funding here.