Hydrogen innovation showcased in UK

Latent Drive will demonstrate SeaStack, billed as the world’s first commercial direct seawater-to-hydrogen electrolyser stack whilst Vanguard Sustainable Transport Solutions will demonstrate HydroShunter, the UK’s first hydrogen-powered railway shunter.

“Demonstrating novel technologies in the real world is fundamental to their adoption and scaling,” commented Sameer Savani, managing director for transport at Connected Places Catapult.

“By supporting hydrogen innovators to showcase new capabilities, we’re backing the growth of businesses here in the UK. We’re also positioning our homegrown pioneers to capitalise on the exciting opportunities presented by the global sustainable energy transition.”

Designed specifically for harsh offshore and marine environments, SeaStack enables hydrogen production directly at sea, close to renewable energy sources such as offshore wind.

The demonstration focuses on testing hybrid bipolar plates that address a critical challenge of seawater electrolysis: the formation of corrosive chlorine compounds. By mitigating this issue, Latent Drive aims to unlock reliable hydrogen production from seawater, as well as from concentrated brines and wastewater, supporting future offshore energy systems.

The compact, modular and robust design of SeaStack is intended for deployment on wind turbine platforms or repurposed oil and gas infrastructure, helping to drive green hydrogen costs toward the sub-US$2/kg threshold.

Built on a refurbished Class 08 locomotive, Vanguard’s HydroShunter replaces the original diesel engine with its NEO1 hydrogen fuel cell and battery powertrain, while retaining the existing electric traction motors.

The demonstration highlights the potential for zero-emission operations in demanding rail freight duty cycles and provides a pathway to extend the working life of ageing locomotives that would otherwise face decommissioning. Vanguard’s work also contributes to the development of new hydrogen safety standards for rail, supporting future mainline approval.

Three further projects are included in the programme in a supporting capacity, covering hydrogen-fuelled combined heat and power, hydrogen-powered unmanned aerial systems, and liquid hydrogen storage and power applications.

Led by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and supported by Innovate UK, the Hydrogen Innovation Initiative aims to generate real-world performance data, reduce adoption risks and strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in hydrogen technologies.