Babcock wins Net Zero Resource Efficiency category at MoD Sanctuary Awards
Image courtesy Babcock
This award recognises Babcock's hydrogen derived from wastewater project – a pioneering initiative aimed at developing radical fuel-switching technologies to support the decarbonisation of our Devonport facility and the wider maritime sector.
The project focused on demonstrating the feasibility of producing sustainable hydrogen fuel from contaminated wastewater. A small-scale hydrogen production plant was built to validate the process and assess the cost-effectiveness of scaling up to produce a drop-in hydrogen fuel alternative to HVO diesel. It included the construction of a state-of-the-art demonstrator system for the production, storage and utilisation of green hydrogen to supply clean energy.
This innovation opens up the potential of a maritime circular economy, where wastewater is transformed into a valuable resource to power dockside infrastructure and maritime vessels. The project not only showcases a viable route to zero-carbon fuel production but also could provide the basis for the future use of hydrogen in dockyard infrastructure.
As Babcock continues to collaborate with industry partners to advance this technology, it is looking forward to seeing how the insights gained from this trial help shape industry best practices and support the development of a regulatory framework for hydrogen use across naval bases.
