Ricardo reveals plans to build hydrogen-fuelled engines

Engineering firm Ricardo plans to convert an engine testing factory at its Shoreham headquarters into a hydrogen engine development facility.

If funding is approved by the government, the project will allow the company to generate and store hydrogen gas to develop hydrogen-fuelled engines.

A Ricardo spokeswoman said the facility could help establish the South East as a centre for alternative energy development if approved.

“Facilities to test and develop engines using hydrogen are extremely rare, even in mainland Europe,” she said.

“Unlike current fossil fuels, hydrogen combustion does not generate any tailpipe carbon dioxide, while offering a potentially rapid route to implementation.

Ricardo hopes to manufacture hydrogen-fuelled engines at its Shoreham headquarters. Photo: Shazz

“The facility could both protect and grow high-skill technical employment on the South Coast and help the region in its economic recovery from Covid-19.”

Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, which funds large projects in Sussex, has provisionally awarded funding for the project.

But the government will have to formally approve the grant.

Hydrogen fuel is generated by running an electrical current through water, splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen.

The hydrogen is then burnt in vehicle engines, releasing energy and water without carbon dioxide.