The Henry Royce Institute
The Henry Royce Institute

Royce Hydrogen Accelerator

The Royce Hydrogen Accelerator is re-defining UK hydrogen materials technology translation by connecting actors and accelerating solutions to identify and verify high potential investment opportunities in hydrogen.

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Re-Defining Materials Technology Translation for Hydrogen

Developed by the UK’s centre for advanced materials, the Henry Royce Institute, the Royce Hydrogen Accelerator (RHA) champions critical materials solutions for the hydrogen supply chain, supporting innovators to scale and introducing them to investors.

Royce has extensively researched the hydrogen industry, uncovering the materials solutions that have the potential to unlock a key component of our future energy system. The RHA is a specialist body, fully focussed on the hydrogen sector. It is specifically designed to address a gap in the market to connect investors with verified innovations that have real potential to deliver a functioning, productive hydrogen economy in the UK and internationally.

Backed by UK Government, our mission is to accelerate materials technology translation, unlocking the hydrogen industry through materials solutions. Our market-driven approach and technical expertise has created a pipeline of compelling, de-risked opportunities that are ready to scale, with the right investment.

Resources

Find out more

Our Services
Our Team
Testimonials and Case Studies

Downloads

RHA Innovator Brochure (.pdf)
RHA Investor Brochure (.pdf)

Contact

Contact Us

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR THE RHA

 

Developing the hydrogen economy will contribute directly to economic growth, one of the UK Government’s core national missions, and hydrogen will also be a critical component of our clean energy future. The technology’s success hinges on the development of new materials for sustainable hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and use.

I strongly support the Royce Hydrogen Accelerator’s objective in driving investment into the material innovations that will support the transition towards a clean energy future.

— Lord Vallance,
Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear

Our Services

The RHA connects innovators and investors to accelerate translation of the technologies that will unlock the hydrogen supply chain. We have full sight of what this future industry needs, and we are cultivating the solutions to make it happen.

For innovators, the RHA is a gateway to becoming investment-ready. For investors, we provide access to a curated pipeline of de-risked  opportunities, backed by rigorous validation from our team.

Through the Royce Hydrogen Accelerator we provide: 

 

A unique offer for innovators

The RHA is funded by public money. It is a trusted, neutral source of information and guidance.

At zero cost to you, the accelerator’s skilled team of analysts will confirm the technical and market potential of your solution, before connecting you with the community and services that you need to become investment-ready.

The RHA is directly connected with investors who are interested in early opportunities in the hydrogen economy. It will present your solution to these investors, speeding up the process of launching your technology in an end-to-end hydrogen supply chain that enables a low carbon future.

We are open to helping any potential hydrogen technology solution.

  • The RHA spans the full hydrogen value chain, from production, storage and distribution, to end use and monitoring.
  • We have a wide definition of materials, and use Royce’s extensive connections in the UK research base to access the expertise needed to confirm and advance any materials solution.
  • Your solution can be at any level of maturity. We will connect you with the community, partners, funds or services that you need to become investment-ready.
  • The RHA caters to all commercial routes, not just spin-outs, working to introduce new technology solutions to the market on a pathway that suits you.

 

 

Download

RHA Innovator Brochure (.pdf)

A portfolio for investors

The RHA’s opportunities span the whole investment pipeline, includes all material types, and covers the whole hydrogen value chain, from production, storage and distribution, to end use and monitoring.

We are an independent source of opportunities. We work closely with these innovator teams to build them into serious start-ups that will lead the market in the future, via the commercial pathway that best suits them.

We have pre-qualified these opportunities and evaluated them for their potential, reducing your due diligence burden and accelerating your return on investment. We are able to provide tailored support and independent technical assessments to help you with de-risking.

The RHA connects you with the technologies of the future energy system.

By working with us, you will be the first to engage with these opportunities, with the added confidence that their potential has been confirmed by our team.

We work hard to provide wrap-around services that enable innovators and their technologies to be investor-ready.

We are:

  • Building a community of hydrogen innovators.
  • Connecting start-ups to customers and partners.
  • Coordinating different technology platforms.
  • Introducing researchers to alternative commercial pathways that best suit them.
  • Generating government support for the hydrogen market.

 

 

Download

RHA Investor Brochure (.pdf)

The RHA are supporting the creation and commercialisation of emerging technologies

 

 

Our Team

Our team includes commercial and technical experts, all committed to advancing hydrogen materials solutions.

We know the hydrogen market and can connect materials innovations with the right technologies, platforms, and partners to optimise their potential.

Scouts

First points of contact sourcing early technologies.

Analysts

Deep technical expertise and the tools to verify the market potential of a solution.

Technology Advisory Group

Further expertise for de-risking and shaping investment opportunities.

Investor Group

A wide range of investors with different interests and capabilities.

A HIGH POTENTIAL SECTOR

Hydrogen supply chains will be key to the future energy system, given hydrogen’s ability to act as both an energy source and storage mechanism. Significant progress is already being made towards the adoption of hydrogen worldwide, but the UK needs to act now to capitalise on its particular strengths and ensure it becomes a key player in the industry’s future.

The UK has unique structural advantages that can drive the development of its hydrogen industry:

Research & Development
The UK is home to globally-leading R&D capabilities and has a long-standing history of research excellence. It hosts world-class universities, has robust IP legislation, and a highly-skilled workforce which can be leveraged for the development and deployment of hydrogen technologies.
Renewable Energy
The UK has access to significant renewable energy resources. The seas around Britain are already home to the world’s largest offshore wind farms. An abundance of renewable energy is crucial for the sustainable production of green hydrogen through electrolysis.
Infrastructure
The infrastructure for the large-scale refining and chemical production processes required for hydrogen production already exists in the UK, much of which is concentrated in coastal industrial centres, such as in the North East.
Policy
The government policy landscape of the UK is also well-prepared for the future role of hydrogen. ‘The UK Hydrogen Strategy’ targets the installation of 10GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030.
Industry
The UK is already home to key players across the hydrogen supply chain, spanning the full range from SMEs to global industry leaders, including bp, INEOS, Rolls-Royce, Johnson Matthey, National Gas, AFC Energy, Ceres Power and ITM.

The hydrogen sector is a national priority. It offers a genuine pathway towards decarbonisation, and will build national energy resilience, deliver green jobs, and ensure that future emissions targets can be met.

Case Studies and Testimonials

 

The Royce Hydrogen Accelerator has been a great partner to HICO in helping us spot promising hydrogen startups. Their sector knowledge and early-stage insights add real value to our pipeline and help us build confidence in the teams we engage with.

—Christopher Hartnoll,
CEO and MD, HICO

 

Research Success in Hydrogen

Royce has so far delivered over £5 million of funding to projects covering the breadth of the hydrogen supply chain with partners throughout the sector. This has been achieved through two investment activities, the Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP) and Materials Challenge Accelerator Programme (MCAP), designed to tackle issues in the production, storage, distribution, use, and operational monitoring of hydrogen.

Since late 2022, Royce has funded a total of 43 projects through the two investment programmes. This has been made possible by the collaboration of 13 UK universities, 7 Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) and 20 industry partners.

Royce has worked extensively with a wide range of stakeholders from across industry and academia to identify the major materials challenges that are preventing the establishment of a hydrogen economy.

Examples of particularly successful or innovative projects from both programmes – spanning the full hydrogen supply chain – are presented in the adjacent report. 

Download

Research Success in Hydrogen Report (.pdf)
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