Mayor Dan Norris's ambition to make the West of England a hydrogen leader has got another boost after his Mayoral Combined Authority helped win £2.5 million of new funding to establish a 'hydrogen supercluster' to support the region's transition to net zero.

The 'Great Western Supercluster of Hydrogen Impact for Future Technologies' or GW-SHIFT will see research organisations across the West, and South Wales, share their expertise and collaborate on cutting-edge hydrogen research and activities over the next four years.

The 'supercluster' is being co-led by the University of Bath, with a focus on hard-to-decarbonise sectors like production, storage and transport. 

Welcoming the funding boost, Mayor Norris said his West of England region was becoming a centre for innovation in the country. He pointed to the £4 million his Mayoral Combined Authority had provided Bath University's IAAPS for their trailblazing hydrogen work, including over £2.5 million to establish the first green hydrogen plant in the whole South West.

Dan Norris, West of England Metro Mayor said: "Hydrogen is one important solution to our climate problems - it's powerful and there's lots of it. The potential when it comes to slashing emissions in those hard-to-decarbonise sectors like transport, and others, is huge.

"I'm proud my Mayoral Combined Authority has joined with our partners in unlocking this vital funding. Along with the investment I'm making in things like the region's first-ever green hydrogen plant, it will really boost our plans for our West of England region to become a zero-emission and innovation leader."

Professor Tim Mays, GW-SHIFT Principal Investigator and Co-Director and GW4 Net Zero Ambassador, University of Bath said: "GW-SHIFT will develop as a place-based supercluster to accelerate the impact of research and innovation in sustainable hydrogen technologies in the South West of England and South Wales to secure the UK's net zero carbon emissions target for 2050. 

"All partners are incredibly excited to be involved and look forward to working together over the next four years and beyond."

Some of the nation's most important research and development facilities looking into hydrogen are in the West of England, including the National Composites Centre which hosts the £10 million Mayoral Combined Authority-funded Digital Engineering Technology & Innovation programme.

Others include Airbus ZEROe Development Centre which is investigating fuel systems for Airbus' electric and hydrogen-propulsion technologies, and the £32 million GKN Global Technology Centre based in Filton, acting as a world-class centre for innovative technology for the next generation of zero-emission aircraft.