United Kingdom

In sustainable energy transitions the utilization of hydrogen is crucial providing flexibility in the operation of net-zero emission renewable-based energy systems. This paper presents a study on the optimal operation of netzero emission multi-energy future microgrids that utilize hydrogen as an alternative fuel instead of natural gas. The electrolyzers’ output is injected into the hydrogen grid to meet demand or converted back to electricity later using generating units owing to the storage capability of pipes called linepack. For this purpose a detailed mathematical model is developed to simulate the main characteristics of grids (e.g. voltage current hydrogen flow and pressure) as well as various components (e.g. renewable systems electrolyzers and hydrogen-fired units). To become more realistic a possibilistic-robust approach is developed to account for the uncertainty arising from the lack of real-world implementation. By representing a case study a test is performed to evaluate the possibility of employing a low-pressure gas grid to meet the demand for hydrogen. After that the effects of electrolyzers are analyzed in the presence and absence of the uncertainty consideration approach. The result indicates that despite hydrogen’s lower energy density compared to natural gas it is still feasible to satisfy the same energy demand level considering the technical characteristics of the grid. The integration of electrolyzers can reduce wind curtailment by 2 % and supplement hydrogen demand by 50 %. A higher level of conservatism in the possibilistic-robust approach leads to an increase in the mean value of the objective function and a reduction in the standard deviation under the realization of uncertain parameters which provides the decisionmakers with a more realistic insight.

The adoption of clean hydrogen is expected to transform the global energy landscape reducing greenhouse gas emissions bridging gaps in renewable energy integration and driving innovation across multiple sectors. In the medical and pharmaceutical industries hydrogen offers unique opportunities for transformative progress. This review critically examines recent advances in three domains: hydrogen fuel cells as reliable scalable and sustainable energy solutions for hospitals; molecular hydrogen as a therapeutic and preventive medical gas particularly for brain disorders; and hydrogenation technologies for the efficient and sustainable pharmaceutical production. Despite encouraging advancements widespread adoption remains limited by economic constraints regulatory gaps and limited clinical evidence. Addressing these barriers through technological innovation largescale studies and life-cycle sustainability assessments is essential to translate hydrogen’s full potential into clinical and industrial practice. Responsible adoption of green hydrogen is poised to reshape the clinical approach to global health and enhance the quality of life for people worldwide.

As a zero-carbon energy carrier hydrogen is playing an increasingly vital role in the decarbonization of maritime transportation. The hydrogen pressure reducing valve (PRV) is a core component of ship-borne hydrogen storage systems directly influencing the safety efficiency and reliability of hydrogen-powered vessels. However the marine environment— characterized by persistent vibrations salt spray corrosion and temperature fluctuations— poses significant challenges to PRV performance including material degradation flow instability and reduced operational lifespan. This review comprehensively summarizes and analyzes recent advances in the study of high-pressure hydrogen PRVs for marine applications with a focus on transient flow dynamics turbulence and compressible flow characteristics multi-stage throttling strategies and valve core geometric optimization. Through a systematic review of theoretical modeling numerical simulations and experimental studies we identify key bottlenecks such as multi-physics coupling effects under extreme conditions and the lack of marine-adapted validation frameworks. Finally we conducted a preliminary discussion on future research directions covering aspects such as the construction of coupled multi-physics field models the development of marine environment simulation experimental platforms the research on new materials resistant to vibration and corrosion and the establishment of a standardized testing system. This review aims to provide fundamental references and technical development ideas for the research and development of high-performance marine hydrogen pressure reducing valves with the expectation of facilitating the safe and efficient application and promotion of hydrogen-powered shipping technology worldwide.

In this work a plasma fluidized bed reactor has been studied as an electrified methane decomposition reactor for sustainable hydrogen production. A combined 3D rotating gliding arc/fluidized bed reactor assembly demonstrates a stable operation with a CH4/Ar mixture containing up to 8 vol% of CH4. The reactor provides a 97.2 % H2 selectivity at a methane conversion of 16.6 % and energy costs of 10.6 kJ L− 1 . This performance provides a new benchmark for electrified H2 production with a potential to utilise renewable electricity. In addition carbon materials are produced. The characterizations show difference in the morphology of the materials collected in different reactor zones.

Global renewable hydrogen trade is expected to play a key role in decarbonizing future energy systems. Yet hydrogen exporters may deviate from perfectly competitive behaviour to influence prices similarly to the existing fossil fuel market with important implications for consumer welfare and the pace of the energy transition. This study develops a global renewable hydrogen trade model that captures potential strategic interactions among exporters using a Stackelberg game-theoretic framework. The model is formulated as an Equilibrium Problem with Equilibrium Constraints (EPEC) and solved under three alternative equilibria: a profitmaximizing Nash equilibrium a cost-minimizing Nash equilibrium and a welfare-maximizing benchmark representing perfect competition. Results indicate that producers may strategically reduce their export quantities by up to 40 % relative to perfect competition to maximize profits. Such behaviour raises prices to a minimum of 4.5 USD/kg in 2050 across major import markets thereby significantly eroding consumer surplus. Strategic behaviour of dominant exporters also shifts trade flows reshaping the global allocation of hydrogen supply. Sensitivity analysis further reveals that financing costs play a key role in shaping strategic producers’ behaviour with lower financing costs helping to reduce prices and stimulate demand. These findings highlight the implications of imperfect competition in global hydrogen trade and suggest that policy measures may be needed to mitigate potential negative consequences.

Decarbonizing industrial heat is critical for achieving climate targets. This study evaluates the economic viability of technologies for decarbonizing industrial heat in Europe through a techno-economic analysis. High-temperature heat pumps (HTHPs) and electric hydrogen and biomass boilers are compared in terms of levelized cost of heat (LCOH) under various scenarios including the impact of thermal storage leveraging dynamic electricity prices. In scenarios for the year 2030 we show that HTHPs leveraging free excess heat achieve LCOH values at least 30% to 60% lower than hydrogen boilers and up to 37% lower than biomass boilers. Integrating daily thermal storage reduces LCOH by up to 15% for heat pumps and 27% for electric boilers. By 2050 anticipated cost and efficiency improvements further enhance the competitiveness of heat pumps. These results highlight the economic advantage of HTHPs particularly when integrating excess heat and thermal storage.

The study focused on designing a sustainable building involving rooftop agrivoltaics advanced glazing technologies and onsite hydrogen production for a residential property in Birmingham UK where green hydrogen produced by harnessing electricity generated by agrivoltaics system on rooftop of the building is employed to change the transparency of vacuum gasochromic glazing and refuel hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle using storage hydrogen for a sustainable building approach. The change in the transparency of the glazing reduces the energy requirement of the building according to the occupant’s requirement and weather conditions. This research investigates the performance of various rooftop agrivoltaic systems including vertical optimal 30◦ tilt and dome setups for both monofacial and bifacial agrivoltaic consisting of tomato farming. Promising results were observed for agrivoltaic systems with consistent tomato production of 0.31 kg/m2 with varying shading experienced due to the different photovoltaic setups. Maximum electricity is produced by bifacial 30◦ with 7919 kWh though the lowest LCOE can be observed by monofacial 30◦ with £0.061/kWh. It also compares the efficiency of vacuum gasochromic windows against double glazing vacuum double glazing electrochromic and gasochromic options which can play an essential role in energy saving and reduced carbon emission. Vacuum gasochromic demonstrated the lowest U-value of 1.32 Wm2 K though it has the highest thickness with 24.6 mm. Additionally the study examines the feasibility of small-scale green hydrogen production from the electricity generated by agrivoltaics to fuel hydrogen vehicles and glazing considering the economic viability. The results suggested that the hydrogen required by the glazing accounts for 52.56 g annually and the maximum distance that can be covered theoretically is by bifacial 30◦ which is approximately 64.23 km per day. The interdisciplinary approach aims to optimise land use enhance energy efficiency and promote sustainable urban agriculture to contribute to the UK’s goal of increasing solar energy capacity and achieving net-zero emissions while addressing food security concerns. The findings of this study have potential implications for urban planning renewable energy integration especially solar and sustainable residential design.

Hydrogen is a key enabler of the energy transition and repurposing existing natural gas pipelines offers a costeffective pathway for large-scale hydrogen transport. However hydrogen embrittlement raises integrity concerns and current design standards such as ASME B31.12 Option A adopt highly conservative safety margins without a quantified reliability basis. This study evaluates whether the conservative safety margins in ASME B31.12 Option A for hydrogen pipelines can be safely relaxed. A semi-elliptical flaw (depth 0.25t length 1.5t) is assessed using the Failure Assessment Diagram (FAD) method and Monte Carlo simulations with up to 2.5 × 107 iterations. Fracture toughness is fixed at 69.3 MPa√m while wall thickness and yield strength vary statistically. Three design scenarios explore safety factor products from 0.388 to 0.720 at 0 ◦C and 20 ◦C. Results show that flaw acceptability is maintained in all deterministic cases and the probability of failure remains below 10− 6 . No failures occur when the safety factor product drops below 0.637. The analysis uses only codified flaw assumptions and public material data. These findings confirm that Option A provides a highly conservative envelope and demonstrate the value of a reliability-based approach for assessing hydrogen pipeline repurposing while addressing the gap between prescriptive standards and quantified reliability. This integrated FAD–probabilistic framework demonstrates that Option A includes significant conservatism and supports a reliability-based approach to evaluate hydrogen pipeline repurposing without experimental inputs.