Loughborough University has revolutionised green hydrogen production by redesigning the lead-acid battery into an innovative battery-electrolyser system.
Made from 99% recyclable materials and free from rare earth metals, this technology enables affordable mass manufacturing and dual income streams, efficiently harnessing intermittent renewable energy sources.
Since 2023, we have leveraged major European funding, Innovate UK grants, and regional development seed funding to accelerate scaleup and automated manufacture, achieving over 99% hydrogen purity.
The battery-electrolyser helps meet these UN Sustainable Development Goals:
SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)
It also potentially impacts: SDGs 3 (Good Health and Well-being)
SDG 4 (Quality Education)
SDG 5 (Gender Equality)
Impact through partnerships
Our work directly addresses energy access gaps affecting 13% of the global population and 2.4 billion people relying on harmful cooking fuels. It also opens new opportunities for integrating offshore wind generation with energy storage infrastructure, reducing grid curtailment and emissions.
With the Consortium for Battery Innovation and over 20 regional and global partners, we are rapidly scaling up the technology to reshape the future of energy storage and hydrogen production, for a more equitable and resilient energy future. Take a look at some of our partnerships below.
What Loughborough University is doing with LoCEL-H2 and MESCH is genuinely game-changing. It’s exactly the kind of bold, smart innovation we need, and we’re proud to be part of it.
Carl Telford, Research & Innovation Director
Consortium for Battery Innovation
Powering Africa with hydrogen
The battery electrolyser stores renewable electricity and produces hydrogen which can be used for clean cooking in remote African communities. By replacing firewood and biomass with hydrogen – whose only by-product is water – the system aims to cut pollution, reduce deforestation, and save lives. The innovation could transform off-grid living worldwide – from African villages to wind farms and green industries across the globe.
Battery-electrolyser news
- World-first battery-electrolyser system handed over in Malawi
- Battery‑electrolyser to be advanced through Royce Hydrogen Accelerator and Conception X
- Battery‑electrolyser is sole UK Technology category finalist at 2026 International Energy Awards
Partnership and commercialisation
If you are interested in supporting this project, Professor of Electrical Power Engineering and project lead Dani Strickland would love to hear from you.
“We are developing at rapid pace. We have funding to get four units running by the end of 2026 in Malawi, Zambia, the Ivory Coast and our test site at Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park. The more publicity and support we get the faster we can make this a product!”
Email Dani at D.Strickland@lboro.ac.uk