‘The UK could become a leader in hydrogen fuel cell innovation globally,’ says the Advanced Propulsion Centre

The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) has suggested that the UK could lead Europe in hydrogen fuel cell innovation however there is a crucial need to increase investment in this sector.

According to the APC, the UK could be a centre of excellence globally for hydrogen fuel cells and has shared crucial insight with British members of parliament in a bid to support the growing sector.

With rapid growth forecasted for the UK’s fuel cell industry, the need to strike political frameworks and investment in the sector has never been greater and could fully establish the nation as a leader in fuel cells.

The APC forecasts that by 2040 across Europe, 40% of new HGVs sold will be battery electric, 30% fuel cell and 15% hydrogen combustion.

Ian Constance, CEO of the Advanced Propulsion Centre, said, “We need to learn the lessons of the 1980s and 90s where we were caught sleeping at the wheel with lithium-ion battery production and the East Asian countries overtook us.

“Families need jobs and security and there’s an opportunity here to create and safeguard green growth in an area where the UK already has existing capability.

“We already have 15% of the fuel cell value chain radiating from UK businesses but this could be as much as 65% just by expanding on current strengths in electrochemistry and coatings or using our automotive capability to volume manufacture components like bipolar plates and stack assemblies.

“Investment will be needed to retain this leading position but we’re sharing this insight in the hope it helps industry and government make long-term strategic decisions.”

Constance continued, “The question we should be asking is whether we can afford to NOT take the opportunity. There was a time when the UK led battery cells research but we failed to capitalise on that from a manufacturing perspective.

“We are catching up with ground-breaking research and gigafactory development – AESC Envision and Britishvolt announcing new plants in the past year – and we still expect batteries to dominate the passenger car sector in the next decade or so.

“But heavy-duty applications – public transport, marine, rail and air – will need a different solution. Hydrogen will play a part, the UK could have a key role – and that means jobs and economic growth.”