Progress and Future Challenges in Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research – Towards Net Zero

Qiong Cai

Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering
University of Surrey

Position: Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, University of Surrey

Title: Electrode materials for anion exchange membrane fuel cells and electrolysers

Biography:

Dr Qiong Cai is a Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at the University of Surrey. She completed her MEng degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University (China) and PhD degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Edinburgh (UK). Before embarking on an independent academic career at University of Surrey (UK) in 2012, she carried out postdoctoral research at Imperial College London working on electrochemical energy devices. Her current research focuses on multi-scale materials design for energy conversion and storage applications including electrolysis hydrogen production, fuel cells, batteries, and CO2 conversion. Her research has been funded by EPSRC (EP/M027066/1, EP/R021554/1&2), H2FC SUERGEN Hub (EP/J016454/1), and Faraday Institution (EP/S003053/1, Grant FIRG014). She has supervised 5 postdocs and 10 PhD students as the primary supervisor and has published over 70 peer-reviewed research articles.

Paul Shearing

Professor, Dept of Chemical Engineering
University College London

Position: Professor, Dept of Chemical Engineering, University College London

Title: Reflections on SUPERGEN – 10 years on 

From 2006 to 2011 I was a PhD student, and then a post-doctoral researcher at Imperial College under the auspices of the H2FC Supergen programme. I will briefly reflect on my experiences, and explore how the programme informed my future work, network of collaborators and research philosophy.

Biography

Paul Shearing is a Professor in Chemical Engineering at University College London where he holds The Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Battery Technologies. His research interests cover a broad range of electrochemical engineering themes with a particular interest in the relationship between performance and microstructure for energy materials.

He co-directs UCL’s Electrochemical Innovation Lab and leads the UK STFC Global Challenge Network in Batteries and Electrochemical Devices. He was a founding investigator of the UK’s Faraday Institution, where he chairs the Training & Diversity Panel, is PI of the LiSTAR programme investigating Li-Sulfur battery technologies and the SAFEBATT programme on battery safety.

Dragos Neagu

Dr /Lecturer
Department of Chemical and Process Engineering | University of Strathclyde

Position:  Dr /Lecturer, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering | University of Strathclyde

Title: Rethinking nanoparticles in energy materials and devices: formation, functionality and role

Biography:

I am an early-career academic with leading contributions in energy materials and catalysis. I have co-authored 30 papers (over 2000 citations and H-index of 14), including five in Nature-family journals, as well as 3 patents. I hold a PhD from the University of St Andrews, UK (2013) on materials and devices for energy conversion. In 2020, I joined the University of Strathclyde as Lecturer, Chancellor’s Fellow, having worked before at Newcastle University and the University of St Andrews on a wide range of applications. My expertise includes materials design, preparation, characterization, testing for applications, integration in devices, X-ray diffraction lab/synchrotron, scanning/transmission electron microscopy, electrochemistry, solid oxide fuel/electrolysis cells, in situ/operando measurements, and structure/property modelling.

Xiangling Yue

Position: Dr/EPSRC UKRI Innovation Fellow
School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews

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Position: EPSRC UKRI Innovation Fellow, School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews

Talk title: Towards operando generation of nanomaterials in SOCs 

Biography:

Dr. Xiangling Yue is a Research Fellow at the School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews. My current project is looking at the application of exsolution materials in solid oxide cells (SOCs), particularly the generation and optimisation of nanomaterials through high temperature electrolysis operations. In 2014, I obtained a Ph.D with a thesis entitled ‘The Development of Alternative Cathodes for High Temperature Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells’, under the supervision of Prof John Irvine. The work was part of the EPSRC SUPERGEN project ‘Delivery of Sustainable Hydrogen’, through which I focused on material development for, and the electrochemistry involved in, high temperature electrolysis. After PhD, I continued work with John as a postdoctoral researcher for a few years, before applying the EPSRC UKRI Innovation Fellowship to start my independent research. I have experienced in cell manufacture, ceramic processing, characterisations and microstructure engineering of SOCs materials. 

Daniel Reed

Lecturer in Materials Chemistry
University of Birmingham

Title: Lecturer in Materials Chemistry, University of Birmingham

Talk title: In situ investigation of hydrogen storage

Biography

Dr Daniel Reed is a lecturer in the School of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham. From 2005-2011 I was a PhD student, and then post-doctoral researcher in the UK-SHEC Supergen programmes focusing on complex hydrides for hydrogen storage. I have continued to work within the hydrogen storage, purification and isotope separation, where I am now on the management board for the Sustainable Hydrogen (SusHy) centre for doctoral training. The focus of my research has been the lab based in situ characterisation of materials to understand reactions and interactions with hydrogen, phase transition and the impact of impurities and prolonged cycling. My research has grown to other areas of energy materials research and recovery and recycling of battery materials, where I am the academic project lead for the faraday institution ReLiB programme.

Arul Murugan

Arul Murugan, Principal Research Scientist, National Physical Laboratory

Position: Arul Murugan, Principal Research Scientist, National Physical Laboratory

Title: My Hydrogen Journey: From Supergen to the National Physical Laboratory

Bio: Dr Arul Murugan is a Principal Research Scientist at NPL and leads the energy gases area within the Gas Metrology Group. Arul manages the teams activities related to clean energy gases across hydrogen for vehicles and heat, hydrogen enriched natural gas, odorisation for hydrogen, biomethane and carbon capture utilisation and storage. He previously co-ordinated EMPIR Metrology for Hydrogen Vehicles and led workpackages in EMRP Biogas, and is the current co-ordinator for EMPIR Metrology for Decarbonising the Gas Grid. Arul sits on the steering committee of the EMN Energy Gases and also attends GERG, ENTSOG, IGEM, CCSA and Hydrogen London. In addition to representing NPL at CCQM Gas Analysis Working Group and EURAMET TM-MC Sub-Committee on Gas Analysis, Arul is a member of ISO TC 197, ISO TC 158, CEN TC 268, CEN TC 408, BSI PVE 3 8, BSI PTI 15 and CEN/CENELEC SFEM WG Hydrogen. Arul obtained his MEng in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London in 2008 and gained his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Newcastle University in 2011, where his research with on novel hydrogen production methods. Arul is currently a Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a Chartered Chemical Engineer.

Valeska Ting

Professor Smart Nanomaterials
University of Bristol

Title: Professor Smart Nanomaterials, University of Bristol

Talk Title: Hydrogen storage in nanoporous materials - investigations into hydrogen densification

Biography:

Prof Valeska Ting (CEng, FIOM3) is a Professor of Smart Nanomaterials in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Research Director for the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Bristol. She leads a team of researchers developing nanoporous materials for sustainable applications, holds an EPSRC Research Fellowship in Energy and is a member of the Strategic Advisory Committee for the EPSRC-led cross-research council Energy theme. She was awarded the 2013 Institution of Chemical Engineers’ Sir Frederick Warner medal (international award presented every 2 years for work in sustainability), was the 2013 recipient of the UK's Parliamentary and Scientific Committee's SET for Britain Gold Medal for Engineering, as well as the Westminster Medal, and in 2020 was named one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering. 

Henrietta Langmi

Professor, Department of Chemistry
University of Pretoria, South Africa

Position: Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Title:

Complex Hydrides and Porous Materials: Past Research, Current Status and Future Perspectives

Biography:

Prof Henrietta Langmi obtained her BSc from the University of Buea (Cameroon), MSc from Imperial College London (UK) and PhD from the University of Birmingham (UK). After a stint as a research fellow at the University of Birmingham, she joined the University of New Brunswick (Canada), first as a postdoctoral fellow and then, as a research scientist. She later joined the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (South Africa) as a programme manager, principal scientist and research group leader. Currently, she is an Associate Professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She is a National Research Foundation rated researcher and a recipient of several awards such as the South African Women in Science Award and the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy David Sanborn Scott Award. Her current research interests include porous materials and related composites, hydrogen storage, gas separation, and CO2 capture and utilisation.

Sheila Samsatli

Dr/ Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Bath

Position: Dr/ Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath

Title: Development of a large, high-fidelity, whole-system optimisation model for planning, design and operation of hydrogen value chains for net zero

Biography:

Dr Sheila Samsatli is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath. She is a member of the Science Expert Group of the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), providing independent scientific andtechnical support to the BEIS Chief Scientific Adviser. Sheila’s expertise is developing large, high-fidelity optimisation models for value chains to achieve net-zero, while protecting the environment, ecosystem services and biodiversity. She is Principal Investigator of various projects funded by the EPSRC, BEIS, Newton Fund, STFC etc. Many of her system optimisation models are being used by government organisations, such as BEIS and Scion Crown Research Institute (New Zealand), International Energy Agency Hydrogen Implementing Agreement and various industries to help formulate policies for sustainable energy production, consumption and management. She has published in and edited special issues of high-impact peer-reviewed journals and won various awards for excellence in research.

Paul Dodds

Professor of Energy Systems
University College London

Position: Professor of Energy Systems,  University College London

Title: A career-defining journey through the hydrogen economy

Biography:

Paul Dodds is Professor of Energy Systems at UCL. He is a part of the management team of the H2FC Hub and was a contributor to five of the six Hub White Papers, with an editing role on four of them. His publications on hydrogen and fuel cells focus on economics and policy, and span production, infrastructure and various end-uses, including the first paper on the feasibility of converting the gas distribution networks. He co-chairs the BEIS standards and regulations working group of the Hydrogen Advisory Council, and represents the UK Government at IEA Hydrogen meetings as Alternate Delegate. Paul’s academic work focuses on energy system optimisation modelling. He leads the development of the UK TIMES model, which the UK Government has used as its principal tool to develop energy scenarios over the last five years.”

Martin Owen Jones

Professor/Energy Materials Coordinator,
Science and Technology Facilities Council/Universioty of Strathclyde

Position: Professor/Energy Materials Coordinator, Science and Technology Facilities Council/Universioty of Strathclyde

Talk Title: From Hydrogens to Neutrons 

Martin is energy materials coordinator for the ISIS neutron and muon facility, stipendiary lecturer in inorganic chemistry at Lincoln College , Oxford, and honorary professor of chemistry at St Andrews University. Martin’s career has taken him from Nottingham to Birmingham, France, Oxford and finally Harwell. His work has focused mainly on the study of energy materials covering such diverse fields as superconductors, microwaves, transparent conducting oxides, nanoparticles, hydrogen storage materials and batteries. For the last 10 years he has worked at the ISIS neutron and muon facility, studying and developing instrumentation for energy materials. 

Sue Ellis

Research Director
Johnson Matthey

Sue Ellis, Research Director at Johnson Matthey

Suzanne has over 25 years industrial R&D experience working for Johnson Matthey, where she started as a graduate chemist following a Natural Sciences degree (Cambridge) and an MSc in Surface Science and Catalysis (Liverpool). She has worked on projects across the Low Carbon space, including process catalysis, decarbonized hydrogen, fuel cells, hydrogen storage, carbon capture, greenhouse gas abatement, plastics recycling, photovoltaics and critical raw materials recycling. She is currently the Innovation Director for JM's Efficient Natural Resources sector; this role covers research strategy, innovation excellence, new product introduction and the identification and development of future growth opportunities.

Subhasish Mukerjee

Chief Scientific Officer
Ceres

Title: Chief Scientific Officer, Ceres Power

Title of Talk: The commercialization of SteelCell®

Dr. Mukerjee is the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at Ceres Power Limited. He is responsible for research and development of the core solid oxide cell technology called the “SteelCell”. Dr. Mukerjee has extensive experience in fuel cells and clean energy technologies and has worked previously at BP and at Delphi Corporation as Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology Leader. He has over 20 years of experience in his field. He joined Ceres in 2012 and led the development of the core technology through its many different design versions for commercialization. Dr. Mukerjee holds numerous patents and has published widely on fuel cell technology. He gained his PhD at Yale University and postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University.

Dan Brett

Professor of Electrochemical Engineering
University College London

Job title: Professor of Electrochemical Engineering at UCL

Title: Commercialisation Models for the ‘Age of Electrochemical Power’

Dan is Professor of Electrochemical Engineering at UCL, co-Director of the Electrochemical Innovation Lab (EIL) and Director of the UCL Advanced Propulsion Lab. He is an expert in electrochemical power systems with over 20 years’ experience and is one of the most published academics in Europe in the field. He is passionate about realising the ‘age of electrochemical power’ and accelerating e-chem technology to market. He is a founder and Director of Innovation for Bramble Energy, and a founder and Director of Prosemino Ltd. a company focused on incubating and accelerating the commercialization of electrochemical technology.

Chris Zalitis

Senior Scientist in the Green Hydrogen team
Johnson Matthey

Title: What Johnson Matthey can do for commercialisation of Green Hydrogen

Speaker: Chris Zalitis, Senior Scientist in the Green Hydrogen team

Biography

Chris Zalitis is a Senior Scientist in the Green Hydrogen team working on developing electrolyser technology for commercialisation within Johnson Matthey. He earned his Master of Chemistry degree at Southampton University in 2008 and his PhD from Imperial College London within the Supergen Consortium in 2012. His PhD was in the area of fuel cells looking at the electrocatalytic performance of anode and cathode catalysts under idealised high current density operation. He joined Johnson Matthey in 2013 where he has worked in a variety of areas of areas including battery materials, fuel cells, CO2 electrolysis and electrosynthesis with recent focus specifically on water electrolysis.

Fiona Landy

Delivery Manager, Hydrogen Accelerator
Scottish Cities Alliance’s Hydrogen Strategy

Talk title: The Role of the Hydrogen Accelerator

Biography:

Prior to joining the Hydrogen Accelerator Fiona led on the Scottish Cities Alliance’s Hydrogen Strategy – ‘Kick Starting a Hydrogen Economy across Scottish Cities’ for over 6 years and led on the FCH-JU JIVE/JIVE2 submissions that Aberdeen and Dundee City Councils are partners in. She also continues to support Glasgow City Council with their decarbonisation of heavy fleet vehicles from the launch of their fleet strategy utilising hydrogen technologies. Through the Hydrogen Accelerator, Fiona will continue to provide support and guidance to the public sector in developing their decarbonisation strategies utilising hydrogen technologies and support opportunities for the development of Scottish supply chains, innovation, skills, job creation and economic development.

Progress and Future Challenges in Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research – Towards Net Zero

Progress and Future Challenges in Hydrogen Research took place on Wednesday 14 July 2021at 10.20 until 16.30. During the online event, the hub celebrated the highlights of 18 years of hydrogen and fuel cell research within various Supergens projects. We welcomed back our distinguished alumni from academia, and industry to share their journey and offer their own perspectives of working in the area. Speakers made future projections of what role hydrogen and fuel cells will play in in the pathway to net zero.

If you have any queries in regards to this event, please contact us on h2FC@imperial.ac.uk.

Bios and Slides from the Day

All the videos can be found on the Imperial College YouTube playlist.

Welcome and Introductions by Nigel Brandon, Professor of Imperial College London and Dr Sue Ellis, Research Director, Johnson Matthey (slides). Watch the video of the opening session below.

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Session1: Advances in fuel cells and electrolysers

Chair: Professor John Irvine, Professor of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews

--- Electrode materials for anion exchange membrane fuel cells and electrolysers  - Dr Qiong Cai, Senior Lecturer in Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Surrey (bio) (slides) (video)

--- Reflections on SUPERGEN – 10 years on - Prof Paul Shearing, Dept of Chemical Engineering, University College London (bio) (slides) (video)

--- Rethinking nanoparticles in energy materials and devices: formation, functionality and role - Dr Dragos Neagu,  Lecturer at the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Strathclyde (bio) (slides) (video)

--- Towards operando generation of nanomaterials in SOCs - Dr Xiangling Yue, EPSRC UKRI Innovation Fellow, University of St Andrews (bio) (slides) (video)

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Session 2: Commercialisation of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies

Chair: Prof. Nilay Shah, Head of Department of Chemical Engineering,  Imperial College London

Commercialisation Models for the ‘Age of Electrochemical Power’- Dan Brett, Professor of Electrochemical Engineering at UCL (bio)

The commercialization of SteelCell®- Subhasish Mukerjee, Chief Scientific Officer, Ceres Power (bio) (slides) (video)

Buses, trucks and trains - Dr Ben Todd, CEO and Founder, Arcola Energy (slides) (video)

What Johnson Matthey can do for commercialisation of Green Hydrogen - Dr Chris Zalitis, Senior Scientist in the Green Hydrogen, Johnson Matthey (bio) (slides) (video)

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Session 3: Advances in hydrogen production, storage, distribution and safety

Chair: Professor Tim Mays, Professor of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Bath

---In situ investigation of hydrogen storage  - Dr Daniel Reed, Lecturer in Materials Chemistry, University of Birmingham (bio) (slides) (video)

---My Hydrogen Journey: From Supergen to the National Physical Laboratory  - Dr Arul Murugan, Principal Research Scientist, National Physical Laboratory (NPL) (bio) (slides) (video)

---Hydrogen storage in nanoporous materials - investigations into hydrogen densification  - Valeska Ting, Professor of Smart Nanomaterials at the University of Bristol (bio) (slides) (video)

---Complex Hydrides and Porous Materials: Past Research, Current Status and Future Perspectives, Henrietta Langmi, Associate Professor, University of Pretoria (bio) (slides) (video)

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Session 4: Policy, system modelling, education, national programmes, science outreach

Chair: Professor Ian Metcalfe, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Newcastle University

---Development of a large, high-fidelity, whole-system optimisation model for planning, design and operation of hydrogen value chains for net zero - Dr Sheila Samsatli, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) and Prize Fellow, University of Bath (bio) (slides) (video)

---A career-defining journey through the hydrogen economy - Paul Dodds, Professor of Energy Systems at UCL (bio) (slides) (video)

---From Hydrogens to Neutrons - Dr Martin Owen Jones, Energy Materials Coordinator, Science and Technology Facilities Council (bio) (slides) (video)

--- The Role of the Hydrogen Accelerator - Fiona Landy, Delivery Manager, Hydrogen Accelerator (bio) (slides) (video)