Everything needs energy. From powering the cars we drive, to the industrial processes that provide us with those same cars. But our growing population and desire to consume is demanding more. At current rates of economic growth and development we’re going to run out of resources, including energy.
Sheffield is quickly becoming a leader in low carbon, resilient energy and is well positioned to deliver the Government’s Industrial Strategy ambitions for ‘affordable energy and clean growth’ in a bid for the city region to be recognised as the ‘Green Heart of Great Britain’, of which ‘Green hydrogen’ is a key economic focus in the move towards a net-zero carbon economy.
Our position within the Northern Powerhouse, which generates 27 per cent of UK electricity, is backed by unique assets and a committed approach to renewables, and our region has set itself a target to achieve a net-zero carbon economy by 2040. This provides a focus for sustained investment, with key priorities including reducing carbon emissions, generating low carbon energy, improving the energy efficiency and sustainability of buildings and accelerating the transition to ultra-low or zero-emission transport.
Collaboration between private and public sector bodies are integral to delivering this, and below is an illustration of the strength we have in that regard.
Based in Sheffield, ITM have the largest electrolyser manufacturing site in the world, making them the green hydrogen firm, giving our city an unrivalled advantage in this area when it comes to talent attraction, knowledge sharing and research, and potential investment. ITM have recently reached an agreement with the University of Sheffield to acquire a substantial site at its Innovation District for the company’s second UK factory in Tinsley, at a cost of £13.4m.
Finding low-carbon solutions to the world’s biggest energy challenges, with a focus on 5 key pillars:
TERC is part of the University of Sheffield's Energy Institute. It's a national, pilot-scale facility, working to understand and demonstrate green energy solutions for a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system. It's one of the largest research and development facilities in Europe for zero-carbon energy, hydrogen, bioenergy, and CCUS.
https://terc.ac.ukFocussed on helping UK companies win work across the nuclear sector – in new build, operations and decommissioning – and in other high-value manufacturing industries, the NAMRCs facilities and services are open to all regardless of membership, so manufacturing innovation capabilities and supply chain development services are available to all UK manufacturers, from specialist SMEs to top-tier OEMs.
https://namrc.co.ukPart of the Materials and Engineering Research Insititute (MERI), Hallam Energy was established in 2009 as an industrial research group offering research, knowledge transfer and consultancy services. They have delivered over 50 projects for clients ranging from start-ups and SMEs to multinational companies and governmental bodies, both in the UK and abroad.
https://www.shu.ac.uk/research/specialisms/materials-and-engineering-research-institute/what-we-do/expertise/hallam-energy