Hydrogen hero

Unlocking the potential of hydrogen

Decarbonising modern life means changing the way we power our daily lives. And there’s one energy source that will be crucial in getting us there: hydrogen.

Uncover Will and Mark's story and how they're making a difference to lives

Mark McKenna

Process Technology Manager

“For me, JM’s purpose means I can make an impact, so that in 2050 we’re in a better place. It means I can look my grandson – who will be in his 30s by then – in the eye and say I did my bit.”

Inspiring science, enhancing life

Clean hydrogen could help prevent...

JM's LCH technology offers...

>95% reduction in CO2

Cumulative emissions of 80 giga tonnes of CO2 between now and 2050

I help make the key component that fits into our customer’s electrolysers – the catalyst-coated membrane. That component is where the clever chemistry happens, splitting water into hydrogen. Combine that with renewable energy and you can make hydrogen with no resulting CO2 emissions. Creating a cleaner, healthier world is so important. Everyone’s worried about climate change, and chemistry can play a big part in ensuring we still enjoy the only planet we have. I work with some of the best scientists and engineers that walk the earth. We know we’re making a positive contribution to help make the planet a better place to live.

Uncover Will and Mark's story and how they're making a difference to lives

Will McDonnell

Research Scientist

Whether a country chooses to produce hydrogen with carbon capture or renewable hydrogen or a mixture of both, will depend on local circumstances. Typically, hydrogen with carbon capture is a good fit for places like the UK and the USA east coast, which both have natural gas availability, industrial clusters providing concentrated demand, and access to carbon sequestration sites. Meanwhile, renewable hydrogen will better suit geographies like North Africa and South America, where these resources are not as readily available, but where there is an abundance of solar or wind. So, there is a place for both in future. In fact, forecasts suggest that clean hydrogen could help prevent cumulative emissions of 80 giga tonnes of CO2 between now and 2050 – eight times China’s emissions in 2019. Which ever route a country chooses, JM’s technologies will be right at the core of this hydrogen revolution.

A versatile molecule, hydrogen can be used to run everything from industrial turbines to fuel cell electric cars. It can be used to store power and also turned into chemical building blocks such as those used to make everyday items like clothes. But if hydrogen is to help decarbonise the world, we’re going to need a lot more of it, made in ways that minimise CO2 emissions. Thanks to our expertise in PGM chemistry, catalysis and process design, Johnson Matthey is doing just that. Our award-winning LCH technology helps make clean hydrogen from natural gas while capturing more than 95% of the associated CO2. Crucially, it’s available at scale today and is already being incorporated into the UK’s flagship HyNet North West hydrogen project. Meanwhile, we’re making key components that are helping to demonstrate commercial-scale renewable hydrogen production by using renewable energy to power water electrolysis with a number of key electrolyser producers including Plug Power, Hystar and Hoeller.

I’m involved in designing the technology and processes that help make hydrogen using our LCH technology. That means taking natural gas, the same kind we might use for cooking or heating our homes, and transforming it into hydrogen while capturing as much of the associated CO2 as possible. We’re proud that our technology is among the best in the world, capturing more than 95% of the CO2 that would’ve gone into the atmosphere. For me, JM’s purpose means I can make an impact, so that in 2050 we’re in a better place. It means I can look my grandson – who will be in his 30s by then – in the eye and say I did my bit.

Mark McKenna

Process Technology Manager

of all our energy will be made from hydrogen sources every year by 2050

18%

preventing six giga tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere

Accelerating zero emissions transport

Hear from Emily Nesling, R&D Scientist