A Loughborough University researcher has been awarded a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship to develop technology intended to tackle a central problem in the roll‑out of renewable energy: how to store and use excess electricity from intermittent sources.
Funding, scale and the project
Dr Elizabeth Ashton is among 13 researchers across the UK selected for a highly competitive, five‑year Research Fellowship programme backed by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST). The awards are intended to support early‑career engineers with potential to become leaders in their fields.
Dr Ashton’s project is titled AIM‑Hy: Advanced Imaging and Materials Development for Hydrogen Production from Battery‑Electrolyser Systems. The aim is to develop integrated devices capable of both storing renewable electricity and producing green hydrogen within a single system.
Why the research matters locally
Renewable generation from wind and solar is expanding in the East Midlands and nationally, but its intermittent nature means there are periods when generation exceeds demand or grid capacity. That surplus can be curtailed — effectively wasted — unless there are cost‑effective ways to store it or convert it into other forms of energy.
By combining energy storage and electrolysis in one device, AIM‑Hy seeks to address three practical issues that will matter to Loughborough and surrounding communities:
- reducing the cost of producing green hydrogen, a zero‑carbon fuel that policymakers and industry see as important for decarbonising harder‑to‑electrify sectors;
- preventing renewable energy curtailment by turning excess electricity into hydrogen rather than letting it go unused;
- improving energy security for areas with limited grid infrastructure by enabling better local use of distributed generation.
Support and expectations
The Royal Academy fellowships provide funding and freedom to pursue ambitious engineering research with industrial and societal impact. According to Dr Ashton,
"This Fellowship provides a fantastic opportunity to develop technologies that could make renewable energy systems more efficient and affordable, while supporting the transition to a low‑carbon future."
The grant is intended to allow Dr Ashton to pursue both materials development and advanced imaging techniques to improve the performance and longevity of battery‑electrolyser devices — a combination that, if successful, could lower lifecycle costs and improve reliability for adoption beyond laboratory settings.
Potential regional consequences
Loughborough is home to a cluster of engineering and energy researchers, and developments from AIM‑Hy could feed into regional supply chains and the local innovation ecosystem. While the fellowship supports early‑stage research rather than immediate commercial deployment, successful outcomes could attract industrial partners, further research funding and practical trials in the East Midlands.
The project also speaks to wider public policy debates around how to integrate more renewables into the grid at least cost. If integrated battery‑electrolyser devices can demonstrably cut hydrogen production costs and reduce curtailment, they may become part of the toolbox used by local authorities, energy network operators and businesses planning decarbonisation strategies.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fellow | Dr Elizabeth Ashton (Loughborough University) |
| Programme | Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship |
| Number of fellows (UK) | 13 |
| Duration | Five years |
| Funder | Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) |
| Project | AIM‑Hy: Advanced Imaging and Materials Development for Hydrogen Production from Battery‑Electrolyser Systems |
For residents of Loughborough the immediate effect is reputational and strategic: the award underlines the town’s standing as a centre for applied engineering research. Over the coming years, the fellowship’s success will be measured by technical milestones, publications and the extent to which the work attracts industry engagement or demonstrator projects that could be rolled out in local energy systems.
Local businesses, university partners and policymakers will be watching AIM‑Hy as it progresses. If the research meets its aims, it could provide a practical route for making better use of locally generated renewable electricity and strengthening the region’s contribution to the net zero transition.
