Q: Could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience with regards to this conference?
Sikander Mahmood, Cadent Gas (SM): I work for Cadent as a project manager for our leading hydrogen blending project, HyDeploy. Cadent is the UKs largest gas distribution network with over 11 million customers connected to our gas grid. I have been working on HyDeploy for over 3 years now and my role is to work with our consortium partners to ensure we produce the necessary safety evidence which will enable a transition from the natural gas we use today to hydrogen blends in the near future.
Mike Muldoon, Alstom (MM): As Head of Business Development my responsibilities include the consideration of new routes to market and new, sustainable technologies that Alstom can deploy to help deliver the modern, decarbonised transport networks of the future. One key technology we need to deliver this aspiration is hydrogen powered trains.
Benoit Poulet, Shell (BP): As Shell Hydrogen – OEM Technical Interface Manager, my role is to work with the wider automotive industry towards improved and worldwide recognised hydrogen refuelling standards, which will unlock the potential of hydrogen to decarbonise the mobility sector.
Q: What, in your experience, has been the biggest roadblock for utilising hydrogen in your sector?
SM: Hydrogen is not something new and has been utilised in many sectors over the years. However, for it to make a significant impact it needs to be utilised in sectors such as gas distribution to reduce the impact to the climate. Large scale hydrogen production is the current roadblock which needs to be overcome through positive decisions and investment. As production increases, it will allow development of the supply chain and a reduction in costs.
MM: Rail is progressing with the utilisation of hydrogen. Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell powered train was the first in the world to enter passenger service back in 2018. We are manufacturing 59 hydrogen trains of three different designs for deployment in three different European countries. Here in the UK the biggest roadblock is the cost. Green hydrogen is expensive and not widely available, hydrogen trains cost more than existing diesels. The decarbonised alternative would be electrification – which would be more expensive – but it’s very tempting for all involved to do nothing, for now…
BP: In my experience, the biggest hurdle is a combination of the famous “chicken-and-egg” dilemma on the commercial side, and the speed at which new technical standards are required in order to facilitate the hydrogen deployment and needed cost reduction.
Sam English, Bosch Thermotechnology (SE): The key roadblock for hydrogen use in domestic properties is the need for government to set a clear direction for decarbonisation of heat. The Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy and Hydrogen Strategy currently defer a decision to 2026, this will make it hard for some businesses to invest in the development of hydrogen ready products.
Q: What key topics are you excited to speak about?
SM: HyDeploy has generated a wide array of evidence over the last few years, and I am looking forward to sharing the structure of the project and some key outputs from the work we have been busy completing. The timelines for hydrogen blending are ambitious yet achievable and I will discuss how the government strategy and our project align.
MM: The role of decarbonised rail in the future transport mix. How modal shift to rail, facilitated by new, carbon free technologies like hydrogen, can punch above its weight in decarbonising the transport sector – a sector that is now the UK’s worst polluting sector.
BP: I look forward to describing to the audience the technical aspects related to gaseous hydrogen refuelling, and how the industry is unlocking increased refuelling speed in a collaborative way. I also want to take the opportunity to show what the IT technologies can do to further unlock hydrogen refuelling potential.
SE: I am excited to show how hydrogen boilers can reduce carbon emissions, whilst causing minimum disruption to the homeowner in terms of behaviour and modifications to the home.
Q: Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme, and why?
SM: The programme over the two days is jam-packed and I think it is going to be a fantastic event. There are speakers covering the full spectrum of the hydrogen supply chain and for me it will be interesting to hear the developments and discussions taking place in the maritime industry as its not something which is spoken about as often.
MM: I’m excited to hear about other transport applications, to consider how we might aggregate demand and create door to door mobility with rail at its heart. And if I want to use hydrogen, I really want to hear about where it is going to come from, innovations both technical and commercial in its production.
BP: I am equally interested in hearing from the speakers representing the demand side in the heavy-duty sector, and from the ones representing the infrastructure side, notably from the gas network.
SE: I am most looking forward to the presentation by Lloyd Mitchell, Repurposing the UK Gas Transmission System – it’s great to see how the whole supply chain is working towards the green goal.
Q: What specific hydrogen developments are you most interested in for the future and why?
SM: Industry takes up a large chunk of the carbon emissions produced in the UK and have long been seen as the ‘difficult to decarbonise’ group. The development of low carbon industrial clusters will be one to watch in the coming years with projects such as HyNet aiming to start to produce, store and distribute low carbon hydrogen from 2025.
MM: Hydrogen is an energy store. I’m particularly interested in developments in storing hydrogen. The more hydrogen we can carry, the more power we can deploy, the further we can go and less refuelling we need to do. Better storage could be a game changer.
BP: I am especially attentive to the technical developments in the mid-stream part of our hydrogen for mobility sector – from the production site export panel till the service-station nozzle – as, I believe, a lot of the coming improvements and associated cost reduction will come from this segment.
SE: I am excited to see how hydrogen can be used to decarbonise areas that have been traditionally difficult to improve through electrification. For example, the use of hydrogen for heavy goods vehicles, where hydrogen helps to achieve the range and refuelling time required.
Q: Why is it important for engineers to join this conference?
SM: Hydrogen for the future is an exciting topic which has many possibilities. It can often be difficult to navigate around the information regardless of if you are just an interested engineer or someone working in the industry. This conference provides you with a single place to hear the most up to date information across the sectors, directly from the experts.
MM: Hydrogen has a huge range of potential applications. It presents challenges and offers scope for innovation and development that many facets of engineering may not. It will have applications across sectors and disciplines. It’s simply important to know about it.
BP: For me, the hydrogen success is a combination of technical knowledge on the molecule and good understanding of the end customer needs, and I think engineers like myself will find a valuable combination of both aspects in this conference.
SE: It is important for engineers to share their findings and insights around the safe use of hydrogen for all applications. As the use of hydrogen expands rapidly, it is vital that engineers build expertise in the safe use of hydrogen.
The Engineering Challenges in the Hydrogen Economy conference will be taking place on 30-31 March 2022 at One Birdcage Walk, London.
Join this conference to:
- Hear case studies from mature projects addressing infrastructure challenges for production, storage and distribution
- Identify bottlenecks and barriers in moving to a hydrogen economy
- Develop your understanding of the utilisation across different engineering sectors including rail, heavy-duty, aerospace, power generation, marine and more
- Hear from leading experts in the field and explore opportunities to collaborate on new projects
- Gain insight into gaps in the market and requirements for new technology
- Take away lessons learned from other innovative companies to ensure optimal development strategies
- Understand how your existing equipment or products can be deployed in the new hydrogen economy
To book your place, please visit the event website.