Frazer-Nash is supporting National Grid to investigate the opportunities surrounding nuclear-hydrogen production and its potential role in the transition to net zero.
The project, which has recently been granted early-stage funding as part of the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) competition, will see National Grid Gas Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission, running a Discovery project, in collaboration with Frazer-Nash, Rolls-Royce, Northern Gas Networks, National Grid Electricity System Operator and Urenco.
Leading Frazer-Nash’s work will be Anthony Reid, who described the rationale behind the project:
“Low carbon hydrogen will be a key driver to achieving net zero, and nuclear can play a major role in its production, by providing a more consistent zero carbon hydrogen source that can be linked to gas networks to deliver energy resilience.
“While we know that nuclear power plants can produce hydrogen via electrolysis, there is a critical knowledge gap surrounding where best to locate this future nuclear-hydrogen production; and the requirements needed for the National Transmission System (NTS) to transport this hydrogen to end-users are also unclear.”
The Discovery phase is the first of three in the SIF process. It will define a set of end-user scenarios for low carbon hydrogen demand, and will determine how future nuclear-hydrogen siting options can service this demand using the NTS, identifying the associated benefits and barriers.
Dave Hardman, Hydrogen Innovation specialist at National Grid said:
“By highlighting how future nuclear-hydrogen production could be effectively integrated with the NTS to deliver low carbon hydrogen to end-users, this project could be key to enabling the development of low carbon hydrogen production in the UK.”
This project is funded by energy network users and consumers through the Strategic Innovation Fund, a programme from the UK’s independent energy regulator Ofgem, managed in partnership with Innovate UK.
About the Strategic Innovation Fund: the purpose of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund is to support network innovation that will contribute to achieving Net Zero rapidly and at lowest cost; deliver real net benefits to network companies, energy users and consumers; and help the UK to become a ‘Silicon Valley’ of energy. It aims to work with other public funders of innovation so that activities appropriately funded by energy users and consumers are coordinated with activities funded by Government. The Fund is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
About Ofgem: Ofgem is Britain’s independent energy regulator. Their role is to protect consumers now and in the future by working to deliver a greener, fairer energy system. They do this by:
- Working with Government, industry and consumer groups to deliver a net zero economy at the lowest cost to consumers
- Stamping out sharp and bad practice, ensuring fair treatment for all consumers, especially the vulnerable.
- Enabling competition and innovation, which drives down prices and results in new products and services for consumers.
About Innovate UK: Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency, part of UK Research and Innovation. It drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas, including those from the UK’s world-class research base.
