The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has secured funding of £1m to establish new open-access research capability dedicated to the decarbonisation of industrial natural gas.
In the UK, industrial processes contribute approximately 12 per cent of total emissions, the majority of which is heat-related. While some sectors can turn to electrification, energy-intensive industries such as foundries, glassmaking and steel face massive technical barriers where electricity is not yet a viable option.
The HyDecarb project, backed by the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult, aims to provide a real-world, industrial-scale testbed for manufacturers to trial hydrogen fuel-switching in a controlled environment.
The AMRC’s open-access infrastructure removes the technical and financial barriers that have traditionally made the transition to low-carbon energy too risky for individual manufacturers to attempt alone.
Matthew Cawood, head of castings at the AMRC, said: “High-temperature industries have traditionally been the hardest to decarbonise, but finding a solution is now a necessity. By developing this capability at the AMRC, we are proving to our partners that they can slash emissions immediately without needing to reinvent their entire operation.
“We are providing the environment where businesses can meet environmental goals while keeping their production lines running and staying competitive. As a leading manufacturing R&D centre, our role is to de-risk this technology and drive its adoption across the UK manufacturing sector to meet the country’s net zero ambitions.”
The project includes a 20-year-old industrial furnace, which will be overhauled by Therser UK and converted to operate on any blend of natural gas and hydrogen.
To feed the furnace, the AMRC will integrate a gas decarbonisation unit from Sheffield-based cleantech pioneer Suiso, which generates a hydrogen/natural gas blend to power the furnace.
