General Atomics

University of Nottingham to build hydrogen propulsion lab

The University of Nottingham has received planning permission to construct a new hydrogen propulsion lab on its Jubilee Campus, in partnership with Research England and industry partners.



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.

Related

The Drone Age: What does the UK need to get right?
ADS Advance magazine - the drone age- is out today
The Drone Age: What does the UK need to get right?
Leading experts examine where UK drone capability is advancing, where gaps remain and what industry and government need to fix next.
Isembard opens London’s largest factory since WWII
Isembard's global HQ and factory in Southwark
Isembard opens London’s largest factory since WWII
By opening the capital's largest factory since the Second World War in Southwark, Isembard is establishing a global head office that will also serve as a working precision factory that will enhance sovereign capability and deliver solutions for aerospace, defence and robotics customers, worldwide.
Aerospace Defence Security

14 Sep 2026

Marshall Aerospace sale agreed: Why the Aurelius deal matters for UK defence
MRO at Marshall Aerospace
Marshall Aerospace sale agreed: Why the Aurelius deal matters for UK defence
The German investment group is acquiring a strategically important British military aviation business with decades of C-130 expertise.
Aerospace Defence

14 Sep 2026

The Drone Age: What does the UK need to get right?
ADS Advance magazine - the drone age- is out today
The Drone Age: What does the UK need to get right?
Leading experts examine where UK drone capability is advancing, where gaps remain and what industry and government need to fix next.
Isembard opens London’s largest factory since WWII
Isembard's global HQ and factory in Southwark
Isembard opens London’s largest factory since WWII
By opening the capital's largest factory since the Second World War in Southwark, Isembard is establishing a global head office that will also serve as a working precision factory that will enhance sovereign capability and deliver solutions for aerospace, defence and robotics customers, worldwide.
Aerospace Defence Security

14 Sep 2026

RAF Airbus A400M takes off from grass runway in Poland amid Russian drone threat
RAF BRize Norton with Airbus A400M landing
RAF Airbus A400M takes off from grass runway in Poland amid Russian drone threat
The Royal Air Force has practised operating an Airbus A400M from a grass runway in Poland as NATO strengthens dispersed operations on its eastern flank.
Defence

14 Sep 2026

The Drone Age: What does the UK need to get right?
ADS Advance magazine - the drone age- is out today
The Drone Age: What does the UK need to get right?
Leading experts examine where UK drone capability is advancing, where gaps remain and what industry and government need to fix next.
Skyrora completes hot-fire testing of advanced LEO engine
Skyrora engine test
Skyrora completes hot-fire testing of advanced LEO engine
Skyrora has conducted hot fire testing of its LEO engine at its Midlothian facility in Loanhead, demonstrating the potential of stronger, lightweight parts for future propulsion systems.
Member News Space

11 Sep 2026

UK spends nearly £30m on SpaceX satellite services as military shifts to Starshield
Starlink already offers unparalleled end-to-end user data encryption. Starshield uses additional high-assurance cryptographic capability to host classified payloads and process data securely, meeting the most demanding government requirements.
UK spends nearly £30m on SpaceX satellite services as military shifts to Starshield
The UK military operates around 1,000 SpaceX Starshield terminals after spending nearly £30m on Starshield and Starlink satellite communications.
Defence Space

11 Sep 2026

The Drone Age: What does the UK need to get right?
ADS Advance magazine - the drone age- is out today
The Drone Age: What does the UK need to get right?
Leading experts examine where UK drone capability is advancing, where gaps remain and what industry and government need to fix next.
Isembard opens London’s largest factory since WWII
Isembard's global HQ and factory in Southwark
Isembard opens London’s largest factory since WWII
By opening the capital's largest factory since the Second World War in Southwark, Isembard is establishing a global head office that will also serve as a working precision factory that will enhance sovereign capability and deliver solutions for aerospace, defence and robotics customers, worldwide.
Aerospace Defence Security

14 Sep 2026

DEA Group appoints Lee Madden as Delivery Director
DEA Group aircraft
DEA Group appoints Lee Madden as Delivery Director
As it marks 10 years of supporting border surveillance, maritime security, fisheries protection and counter-smuggling operations, DEA Group has appointed Lee Madden as Delivery Director.