EnerHy PhD researcher Soustain Chigalu attended the World Future Energy Summit at the ADNEC Centre in Abu Dhabi from 13–15 January 2026, where he made valuable new connections to advance his battery‑electrolyser research.
The summit featured high‑profile conferences on the energy transition and the future of sustainable energy – with a strong focus on green hydrogen – as well as International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) workshops and international knowledge‑sharing on low‑cost green hydrogen production.
During the event, Soustain connected with Vivek Dhas (CEO, DirectH2, USA) and Ayush Agrawal (PhD researcher, DIRECTH2/Rice University, USA), exchanging insights on affordable green hydrogen pathways. While Soustain’s research explores deploying and testing a lead-acid battery electrolyser integrated into a solar microgrid and battery energy storage system in sub‑Saharan Africa, Ayush’s work investigates solar cells combined with water‑splitting catalysts for green hydrogen production in India.
Reflecting on the experience, Soustain said:
“The summit was an opportunity for networking and showcasing my EnerHy battery‑electrolyser research accelerating the transition to net zero.”
On the exhibition floor, he also visited leading cleantech organisations including semiconductor manufacturers JA Solar and Masdar, exploring opportunities for future collaboration.
This engagement builds on his autumn 2025 fieldwork, when the Loughborough team and partners demonstrated green‑hydrogen clean cooking for the first time at Mwanza District Hospital in Malawi – a key milestone for the battery‑electrolyser programme.
Soustain concluded:
“I look forward to more opportunities to showcase the battery electrolyser and engage with other researchers, policymakers and industry leaders to gather their feedback on how green hydrogen production using battery‑electrolyser technology can be widely adopted.”