UK green-lights five hydrogen technology demonstrations including first hydrogen-powered railway shunter

Credit: Connected Places Catapult

The UK has approved five pioneering hydrogen technology demonstrations, ranging from offshore electrolysis to the country’s first hydrogen-powered railway shunter. The projects are part of the Hydrogen Innovation Initiative (HII), led by High Value Manufacturing Catapult with support from Innovate UK and Connected Places Catapult. The programme aims to strengthen the UK’s hydrogen sector by showcasing innovations in production, storage, and end-use applications, while de-risking adoption and driving business growth.

The 2025/26 Demonstration Programme features the following projects. H2CHP is testing modular hydrogen-to-electricity combined heat and power solutions on the CEME campus microgrid in Rainham, East London, using off-grid hydrogen. Latent Drive is developing SeaStack, an offshore electrolyser producing hydrogen directly from seawater. This project focuses on hybrid bipolar plates that prevent corrosive chlorine formation and will also explore production from concentrated brines and wastewater.

Sky-Drones will demonstrate hydrogen generation, storage, and fuel cell propulsion for unmanned aerial systems, extending flight endurance in remote environments. Unitrove is advancing liquid hydrogen storage and distribution technologies, supplying GeoPura’s Hydrogen Power Unit and working with Steamology to power high-efficiency steam turbines. This demonstrates liquid hydrogen’s versatility as a zero-emission energy source.

Vanguard Sustainable Transport Solutions will showcase HydroShunter, the UK’s first hydrogen-powered railway shunter. Combining hydrogen fuel cells with battery traction, the project demonstrates the potential for zero-emission operations in rail freight under challenging duty cycles.

Sameer Savani, Managing Director for Transport at Connected Places Catapult, highlighted the importance of real-world demonstrations. “By supporting hydrogen innovators to showcase new capabilities, we’re backing UK businesses and positioning them to seize opportunities in the global sustainable energy transition,” he said.

The Hydrogen Innovation Initiative brings together partners from industry, government, and academia to deliver impactful demonstrations that provide insights into performance and system integration, helping the UK maintain a leading role in global hydrogen technology development.