Funder
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Timeframe
December 2021 – November 2026
Overview
Ocean REFuel is an innovative £10M research project which will investigate the potential of harnessing offshore wind and marine renewable energy to produce zero carbon hydrogen and ammonia fuels.
Led by the University of Strathclyde, in collaboration with a world-leading team of researchers from the Universities of Nottingham, Cardiff, Newcastle and Imperial College London, the multi-disciplinary project will explore ways of converting ocean energy into fuels for use in heating, energy storage and difficult to decarbonise transport applications.
The five-year collaboration, which involves 28 industrial partners, including BP, Scottish Power, National Grid, ENI along with the UK Health & Safety Executive, will also produce a blueprint for the first integrated Ocean Renewable Fuel production facility.
Through economic modelling and wider analysis of political economy outcomes and narrative development, CEP researchers will bring crucial understanding of the economy-wide impacts of green hydrogen production through ocean renewable energy to the project.
By looking at the broader socio-economic picture, CEP research can help bring understanding of what investments in ocean renewable energy and green hydrogen production could mean for GDP, jobs and earnings, and in turn the long-term prosperity, as well as sustainability of the UK.
This understanding will be critical to building consensus across government, industry and citizens on the contribution that ocean renewable energy and hydrogen production can make economically, politically and socially. This consensus will be crucial to ultimately delivering feasible and robust pathways to net zero targets.
Partners
Lead partner – University of Strathclyde, Other partners – Cardiff University, University of Nottingham, Newcastle University and Imperial College London