UK-Germany collaboration could help bring low carbon hydrogen use a step closer

The collaboration has been funded by Innovate UK and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action through a UK – Germany Bilateral: Collaborative R&D competition. The aim of the programme is to enhance UK and German collaborations and capabilities in the emerging fields of technology in our society. This is to develop and deliver new innovations and applications of the technologies across a broad range of sectors.

The challenge 

Hydrogen is considered a fundamental energy vector (a way to store and transport energy) to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, as evidenced by UK government policies. However, hydrogen use brings significant material challenges, with hydrogen embrittlement (HE) being the most critical. HE leads to mechanical failures of metal parts in contact with hydrogen, such as pumps, valves, boilers, flowmeters, pipes, containers, etc. In addition to this, hydrogen leakage caused by HE  has a negative climate impact due its interaction with other compounds in the atmosphere, which increase greenhouse gases. It is therefore critical to minimise the leakage of hydrogen from the synthesis, storage and use systems.

The solution 

The aim of this collaborative project is to develop a disruptive enabling technology to prevent failures of metal components caused by HE. It is based on an innovative approach, which builds a hydrogen permeation barrier coating on metals. This is achieved by a combination of original electrochemical-oxidation technology to form nanoceramic layers, developed by CNL, with a novel vacuum coating/sealing technology of German partner NTTF Coating GmbH. The Max Planck Institute for Iron Research also in Germany, will conduct microstructural and mechanical characterisation of the coatings. Hydrogen permeation and embrittlement will be measured by Cranfield University, at its unique measurement facilities.

Collaborating to share expertise and accelerate innovation 

International collaboration offers numerous benefits for the project and participants.

Cambridge Nanolitic identified project partners based on their unique expertise and capacities to reach the project goal, as well as previous collaboration experience. I believe the combination of CNL and NTTF’s complimentary coating systems to be an optimal solution for developing a hydrogen permeation barrier coating.

Collaborating internationally is allowing us and our partners to tap into specialised knowledge and advanced technologies that are not available locally. This will lead to more innovative solutions and accelerated technological advancements. It will also open new markets for us, expanding our already growing global footprint. This, in turn, will help us create more jobs here in the UK.

– Sergey Usov, Director at CNL

Intellectual property is the project aim 

CNL and NTTF business models are based on intellectual property (IP) licensing, technology transfer and consultancy services. The partners intend to jointly patent the innovative solution IP and add it to their existing IP packages. The companies intend to bring their coating technology to the market within two years of project completion, following product tests and certification. The expectation is to reach a turnover of £5 million in the following three years. 

Find out more about the latest round of UK-Germany Collaborative R&D funding here.