Hydrogen Capability Network

The Hydrogen Capability Network plans to develop a pre-normative collaborative research proposal to boost the UK’s capabilities in cryogenic hydrogen. To support this, we are requesting bids for funded work packages: desk-based assessments of which organisations globally are active in this field, their capability and maturity, and specifically their experimental and modelling capabilities.

In this webinar, Helen Brocklehurst, Head of Skills & Research, Hydrogen Capability Network, ATI, outlines the scope, application process and timeline. HCN Phase 1 Research Tendering Process webinar (YouTube)

Supporting documents

To help with the application please refer to the:

HCN Phase 1 Research Tendering Process Report (PDF) – This report details the tendering process and timescales for each step to enable organisations to indicate their interest in contributing to this landscaping process.

HCN Phase 1 Research Tendering Process slides (PDF) – The slides shared in the webinar linked above are available here in PDF format.

FAQs (PDF) – we are publishing answers to all the questions being asked. This document was last updated on 2nd July 2024.

Closing date

The deadline for submission is 12th July 2024. Please contact the team at hydrogen@ati.org.uk for any questions or to submit your proposal.

The ATI’s Hydrogen Capability Network (HCN) is to focus on test infrastructure, research and skills as the three key enablers to hydrogen-powered aircraft technologies with the programme’s first report published today.

Launched in April 2023 and funded by the Department for Business and Trade, the HCN is an ATI project set up to identify and deliver the key requirements to accelerate the development of a new era of liquid hydrogen-powered flight in the UK. The HCN mission is to secure long-term UK capability in zero-carbon emission aircraft and a competitive advantage for the UK aerospace sector. Continuation of the programme has been confirmed to at least April 2025.

Over the past 12 months, the HCN has developed the key recommendations from the ATI’s FlyZero project, which identified liquid hydrogen as the zero-carbon emission fuel with the greatest potential to scale to large commercial aircraft. Recommendations taken forward by the HCN include examining liquid hydrogen (LH2) demand, R&D test requirements and UK capability gaps.

Industry Minister Alan Mak said: “The potential for using hydrogen as fuel is huge for the future of aviation, and we want our world-leading aerospace sector at the forefront of this new and emerging industry of zero emission air travel.

“I’m pleased to see the progress the ATI is making in leading the way on this cutting-edge work in its new report, helping our aerospace industry soar to new heights and supporting thousands of jobs while growing our economy.”

In its first report ‘Securing Liquid Hydrogen Capability in UK’, the HCN has identified the three immediate priorities for action:

• Test infrastructure: Establish at least two open access hydrogen test hubs to provide the required testing infrastructure, LH₂ supply and expertise to satisfy UK aerospace priority test needs.
• Research: Conduct a four-year strategic research programme on Cryogenic Hydrogen Materials Testing Standards (CHyMES) to enable product design and certification.
• Skills: Launch pilot initiatives to accelerate action on skills and coordinate the sector’s skills needs in cryogenics and LH₂

Delivering the three immediate priorities provides the UK with a strong foundation to achieve the longer-term ambitions for the UK hydrogen aerospace ecosystem: larger-scale testing, demonstration in an airport environment and ultimately the design and manufacture of liquid hydrogen aircraft technologies.

Laura Cuss, Programme Director, said: “Liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft are key to aviation’s decarbonisation journey and achieving Net Zero 2050. This revolutionary technology shift for aviation requires unprecedented coordination and collaboration between government, industry and academia to maximise UK market share.

“By establishing hydrogen technology test and demonstration infrastructure, progressing research priorities and tackling the skills gap, the HCN will ensure a coordinated approach to accelerate the development of hydrogen aircraft technologies in the UK.”

The HCN is also setting out to develop an overarching sector strategy and recommendations for longer-term strategic interventions for hydrogen research and development in the UK. This will include what interventions are required in the long term to further develop this ecosystem as understanding and testing becomes more mature.

This strategic overview will complement the ATI’s technology strategy Destination Zero, which focuses on priority technology areas for investment through the ATI Programme. It will also align with the work of the Jet Zero Council, which is investigating sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and the regulatory framework required to deliver zero emission transatlantic flight within a generation.

The ‘Securing Liquid Hydrogen Capability in UK’ report is available to download now on the ATI website, together with detailed reports on skills and research.

Hear Programme Director Laura Cuss speaking at Sustainable Skies World Summit on Thursday 16th May on the panel: Meeting the challenges for hydrogen integration.

The ATI’s Hydrogen Capability Network (HCN) has unveiled five initial interventions to accelerate the hydrogen economy in UK aerospace as the 12-month Phase 0 of the programme passes the half-way stage. The team delivered a webinar on 12th December to share more information on the progress of programme and to provide an overview of the five recommended interventions which are being developed by the team. The five intervention areas are:

1. Research Landscape
2. Materials Testing & Standards
3. Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) Test Hubs
4. LH2 Supply
5. Skills & Training

For those who were unable to attend or would like to watch the webinar again, a recording is now available on YouTube:

You can also download a copy of the slides here.

A more detailed overview of the Materials Testing & Standards area (intervention 2) can be found through the links below:

• Materials Testing & Standards presentation recording [YouTube]
• Materials Testing & Standards Presentation [PDF]

For those interested in collaborating in this strand of work, you are invited to complete a short survey once for each role you could play in the proposed programme. The deadline to complete this survey is 17:00 on Friday 5^th January 2024. Click here to complete the survey.

For any questions, or to get in touch with the HCN team, please send an email to hydrogen@ati.org.uk

The ATI’s Hydrogen Capability Network (HCN) has published a proposed intervention for a Liquid Hydrogen Materials Test Method Standardisation programme. This proposal is one of five initial interventions revealed as the 12-month Phase 0 programme passes the half-way stage.

Full details of the materials testing intervention are highlighted in the recording below and presentation available here.

We are now looking for engagement with potential future members of the proposed network for delivering and steering the programme. We would like to hear from you if you see yourself being part of this future network and we have created a short survey to complete by 17:00 on Friday 5th January 2024.

You are invited to complete the survey once for each role you could play in the proposed programme.

Tuesday 12th December 2023
14:00 – 15:30

The ATI’s Hydrogen Capability Network (HCN) has been set up to secure a competitive advantage for UK aerospace through a world leading collaborative network. Launched in April 2023, Phase 0 of this project has been defining a coherent approach to skills development, infrastructure and hydrogen supply to secure long-term UK capability.

The HCN has now reached the half-way point of Phase 0 and the last six months has been filled with gathering requirements from across the sector and distilling those into defined interventions and next steps.

The HCN has focused on five areas which need immediate support:

1. Research Coordination & Delivery
2. Materials Testing & Standards
3. Test & Demonstration
4. Liquid Hydrogen Supply
5. Skills & Training

This webinar will share key learnings, provide an update on progress and answer any questions from you.

This is an open invite, so please feel free to share the registration link with colleagues in your network who may be interested in hearing more about the Hydrogen Capability Network.

More than 50 attendees from over 15 Universities and RTOs joined a research workshop at the AIRC at Cranfield on Wednesday 13^th September. Delivered by UK-ARC and the ATI Hydrogen Capability Network, the event focused on the research challenges associated with delivering hydrogen powered flight.

The morning session focused on showcasing the current UK research capabilities in hydrogen aerospace related topics, including propulsion, combustion, hydrogen safety, electrical and fuel cells, hydrogen tanks and fuel delivery systems. The presentations will also help to generate a map of the UK capability landscape, which can be used to link together research and industry and stimulate new alliances.

Led by Cranfield University, the afternoon session discussed hydrogen ‘on the aircraft’ sub-topics and drew out a great number of contacts to help form research communities and build the narratives to reflect research knowledge and add project engagements.

The information will be digested with the aim of formulating plans to identify research gaps and generate plans to address these through closer collaboration supporting the Hydrogen Capability Network, growing the UK-ARC community and moving towards research project definition.

Virtual meetings and workshops are being considered to build on engagement opportunities from the event.

The ATI’s Hydrogen Capability Network is continuing to work on hydrogen skills and research capability with recent updates summarised below:

• A joint workshop with the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP) to understand skills gaps and demand for aerostructures took place on 12th July. Three further workshops are planned on gas turbines, fuel cells and electrical systems and systems integration (including tanks and fuel systems) with dates to be confirmed.
• We are working with cross-sector hydrogen organisations on future skills requirements including the Hydrogen Innovation Initiative (HII) and the Hydrogen Skills Alliance (HSA). Liquid hydrogen (LH2) technology, skills and research is still immature meaning collaboration is required to accelerate learning.
• A workshop is planned for Wednesday 13th September with UK Aerospace Research Consortium (UK-ARC) to identify gaps in research to support LH2 flight.

Hydrogen training courses

As part of this background research a list of organisations offering hydrogen-related training has been collated and will be published on the Hydrogen Capability Network page of the ATI website soon. In advance of this, below is a list of upcoming courses from some of these providers which may be of interest to this community.

• 16th – 17th October: Clean hydrogen: technologies, economics and growth pathways by IMechE (imeche.org)
• 6th – 10th November: Cranfield short course – Hydrogen for civil aviation – H2 in the aircraft by Cranfield University (cranfield.ac.uk)
• 29th – 30th November: Green hydrogen by IMechE (imeche.org)
• 20th – 22nd November: Cranfield short course – Hydrogen: fundamentals and materials challenges by Cranfield University (cranfield.ac.uk)

Please note the Hydrogen Capability Network is sharing these courses for awareness and in doing so does not endorse these courses or training providers. We would encourage you to check the course details against your learning objectives.

View the August 2023 update from the Hydrogen Capability Network team here.