UK Energy Minister Lord Hunt said that the LCEA will build on the capabilities in South Wales to develop hydrogen on a commercial basis and will be closely linked to end users based on the M4 corridor. He also said that the company will receive a share of GBP7.2m of funding to develop hydrogen and fuel cell technology.
As part of this, the University of Glamorgan has launched GBP6.3m funding to develop new processes, products and services as part of the CymruH2Wales project. It will create 23 new research staff over the next three years and a further 63 permanent jobs in hydrogen energy.
Lord Hunt said: “Cleaning up our energy supply and the fuel we use for transport will give the UK the opportunity to develop the low carbon industries of the future. Fuel cells and hydrogen can play a key role in cutting CO2 emissions and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.”
Lord Mandelson, business secretary added: “Hydrogen presents exciting opportunities for low carbon energy and we want the UK to be at the forefront. The government is committed to encouraging and supporting growth through our low carbon industries, skills base and supply chain. That’s why we’re creating this Low Carbon Economic Area for hydrogen energy led by South Wales in close collaboration with the South West.
“These investments in research, infrastructure and commercialisation will help our universities and companies work together to seize the opportunities in hydrogen energy, to benefit the area and the whole of the UK.”
Stephen Peacock, executive director at the South West RDA, who will work to support regional business to exploit opportunities around the LCEA, said: “Hydrogen fuel cells are a fantastic development when it comes to generating clean power incredibly efficiently. The South West is already a world leader in creating low carbon technologies, particularly in marine renewables.
“The hydrogen highway, running from South Wales along the M4 corridor into the South East, will help attract more cutting edge companies like Johnson Matthey into the area, allowing the South West to build infrastructure and expertise in another major form of low carbon power generation.”
There was a further boost for the University of Glamorgan when Lord Hunt revealed that it has been awarded a share of GBP500,000 from the latest round of the Department for Transport’s grants to support refueling or recharging stations for alternative fuels.
The university will use its funding to build a new multi-fuel filling station at its Pontypridd campus and further develop its existing facility at its Hydrogen Centre in Baglan.
