The first Hydrogen Summit for the Kent and Medway region is being hosted by the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Greenwich on Wednesday 24 November.
This collaborative event, taking place on our Medway Campus, is an opportunity for business and industry leaders to come together to accelerate and innovate the hydrogen economy in the East of England and beyond.
As Simon Barnes, Funding and Partnership Development Manager and author of the 2021 report ‘The role of hydrogen in achieving net zero’, explains, “During the last 12 months, we have all come to understand that hydrogen, as an energy vector, will play an important part in the development of a Net Zero economy and society for the UK.
“Hydrogen, as a new energy vector, will mean different things to different people; their use of the energy, how they store it, when and how they produce it and their propensity to update existing infrastructure will all be different.
Kent and Medway is in an excellent place to build on existing, and generate new, research, innovation and skills for the hydrogen economy. Located close to London where there is significant demand for it, and in an area which is strong for renewable and low carbon energy, Kent and Medway has ports and land to develop hydrogen infrastructure and is close to other significant developments across the North Sea.”
The aim of the hydrogen summit on the 24 November is threefold:
- To hear about hydrogen from those that know it. What is their experience so far? What do those with knowledge expect for the future? This will include manufacturers of hydrogen, infrastructure providers and planners with national and international perspectives;
- To describe the role of research and innovation in facilitating and accelerating the development of a sustainable hydrogen economy. The ambition of higher education to exploit the Kent and Medway’s advantages to benefit the society, environment and economy by collaborating with business, investors and communities;
- To understand from the community of Kent and Medway what the unanswered questions for hydrogen are, where are the gaps in your knowledge; what skills do you require for future growth; and how do we close these and keep you informed?
The output from the summit will be the start of a pathway for Kent and Medway, to ensure that all three Universities involved can complement and build on funding and investment opportunities.
The free event will take place from 1 – 4:30pm on Wednesday 24 November at The Dockyard Church and Meeting Rooms, Chatham. Please register for the event on our Eventbrite page.