University of Nottingham to build hydrogen propulsion lab

Image courtesy University of Nottingham

The lab will enable research and safe high-power testing of propulsion systems for transport industries. It will be connected to the megawatt-class testing facilities and world-leading researchers of the adjacent Power Electronics and Machines Centre (PEMC).

The hydrogen propulsion lab should be operational by mid-2026.

Funded by round seven of Research England’s flagship UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF) and industry partners, the lab will feature cryogenic test capabilities, environmental chambers suitable for altitude testing, and enable testing of gaseous hydrogen, ammonia and other green fuels. Through this lab, the university deepens its partnership with high-growth industries including aerospace, automotive, marine and power generation.

The news comes as the university launches a new Zero Carbon Innovation Centre on campus, funded by East Midlands Freeport in partnership with Loughborough University. Together, these facilities position Jubilee Campus as a regional hub for innovation in clean energy and propulsion. They realise, with funding boosts, the university’s goal of driving economic growth through green industries and advanced manufacturing.

Professor Chris Gerada, Professor of Electrical Machines and lead for strategic research and innovation initiatives at the University of Nottingham, said: “A new hydrogen lab for the East Midlands is a leap forward in establishing the region’s leadership in zero carbon innovation on the world stage.

"It is this region that has the right place, the right people and the right technologies that industries need to achieve their decarbonisation ambitions.”

The university has worked closely with design teams, including YMD Boon, Turner and Townsend, GF Tomlinson, CPW and Derry’s and Price & Myers to create the new research facility.