A UK university has launched a “world-first” research project to develop a new way of recovering waste heat from industry and decarbonise heating and cooling through new hydrogen technologies.
A team led by London South Bank University (LSBU) will investigate new ways of providing heating and cooling from energy intensive industries including steel, glass, paper and food.
The new hydrogen technologies which will be studied include chemical heat pumps to recover waste heat at various grades, long-distance transport networks to transfer recovered energy more efficiently and advanced heating and cooling systems.
The principal investigator is Yunting Ge, LSBU professor of building services engineering, working with two UK academic partners.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is providing £979,290 funding for the three-year project, launched in January 2021.
Ge said: “Waste heat recovery from industry can contribute significantly to cutting carbon emissions by decarbonising heating and cooling systems.
“Our study will investigate new ways that industry can reuse waste heat and convert it for use in heating and cooling.
“About 60% of total waste heat produced in the UK by industry could potentially be reused.
“We will be testing the potential of new hydrogen technology to tackle the huge environmental problems and financial costs caused by wasted heat.
“Our research offers the chance to cut carbon emissions and pollution, cut costs for business and create new jobs.”