The battery-electrolyser solution

We aim to overcome some of the issues with current electrolysers by developing battery-electrolyser technology using lead-acid chemistry.

It is well known that lead acid-batteries are prone to hydrogen evolution reactions and many battery manufacturers have spent years attempting to design this out of their batteries. Our key innovation was to turn this disadvantage into an advantage, by encouraging hydrogen evolution in batteries.  

Unlike conventional electrolysers that demand scarce, high-cost catalysts and remain idle when renewables are unavailable, our system functions in three synergistic modes:

  • Battery Discharge – Supplying stored energy on demand
  • Battery Charge – Storing surplus renewable electricity
  • Hydrogen Production – Electrolysing water to generate clean, storable fuel

The system uses batteries to supply the primary electrical load, but once fully charged, the same lead-acid battery cells switch to electrolysis mode. By engineering a hybrid battery-electrolyser system, we are enabling cost-effective, scalable green hydrogen production and energy storage from intermittent renewables – using materials that are widely available and fully recyclable.

Our innovative approach

By combining both electrical energy storage and hydrogen production capabilities, our innovative battery-electrolyser minimises the capital cost and embodied energy by using the same electrochemical device for electricity storage and hydrogen production, significantly improving the economics of intermittent hydrogen production using renewable energy.  

Illustration of Loughborough University combined battery-electrolyser Lead acid battery technology allows the cell to charge and discharge as a battery. Electrolysis occurs when the cell is over-charged - splitting water from the electrolyte into H2 and O2 gas. Hydrogen gas is collected at the negative electrode as a method of chemical energy storage during excess renewable energy production. Renewable energy is stored either as electrical energy in the battery or chemical energy as hydrogen gas.
High level overview of battery-electrolyser applications: Initial market: using excess solar to generate green hydrogen for cooking in developing countries. Accessible market: using excess wind to generate green hydrogen.

Target markets

First, through a €10 million Horizon Europe Sustainable Energy Storage Project and a £1.5M Innovate UK Energy Catapult Project, we are deploying pilot battery-electrolyser units in three sites in Africa.

We are also looking at applications for curtailed wind farms. In the UK alone, £1.5 billion was spent curtailing wind between 2021-23.

Find out how the world’s first lead-acid battery-electrolyser works and meet the team behind this innovation that is being accelerated to support the world’s poorest communities without access to electricity or clean cooking. 
East Midlands Freeport, through the East Midlands Zero Carbon Innovation Centre, is supporting scale up using low-cost automation to manufacture new battery-electrolyser cells as part of an assembly process. These cells are being integrated into a new hydrogen production demonstrator at Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park.


Funding and research publications

The battery-electrolyser has received over £12M funding and extensive recognition from both the academic and industry communities for its innovative approach to green hydrogen production and energy storage.

SEE OUR funding
See our publications