Supply chain research applied to clean hydrogen (scratch)

A hydrogen supply chain—linking producers, distributors, and users—does not yet exist in the UK outside a few petrochemical sites, and this project aims to build one, starting on the University of Birmingham campus. Hydrogen is expected to play a major role in the UK’s energy mix by 2050, but the economic and technical barriers to moving hydrogen from biomass, storing it, and using it in fuel cells remain unresolved. Without a functioning supply chain, hydrogen cannot compete with fossil fuels. This project focuses on 20 companies that make components for three linked technologies: hydrogen from biomass, hydrogen distribution and storage, and hydrogen utilisation via combined heat and power fuel cells. If the research succeeds, the team estimates that up to half the UK fuel bill could be saved, emissions could be cut substantially, and the need for large centralised power stations could be minimised. The work is applied and practical—it tackles real-world bottlenecks in logistics, cost, and infrastructure that currently keep hydrogen confined to industrial sites. A successful demonstration on a university campus could provide a replicable model for rolling out hydrogen supply chains across the country.