Quantifying emissions of hydrogen to the atmosphere, CASE project with Environmental Defense Fund Europe

Quantifying emissions of hydrogen to the atmosphere, CASE project with Environmental Defense Fund Europe

Project Description

Supervisors

Dr Rebecca Fisher, Royal Holloway, University of London

Dr Dave Lowry, Royal Holloway, University of London

Dr Grant Forster, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia

 

Scientific Background

Hydrogen will play an important role as a fuel for future low-carbon energy. Although hydrogen is not itself a greenhouse gas, it indirectly contributes to global warming by chemical reactions in the atmosphere that extend the lifetime of the methane which is a strong greenhouse gas.

Improved understanding of current hydrogen emissions, and measurement of emissions from new hydrogen production and usage, will help identify opportunities to minimise leakage, supporting efforts to make hydrogen as clean an energy source as possible.

 

Research Methodology

A national emissions inventory for hydrogen does not exist, but one will be needed in future given the importance of the UK’s hydrogen strategy in meeting its Net Zero goals. The PGR will collate our current understanding of UK hydrogen emissions and identify where there are gaps in knowledge.

Royal Holloway have recently developed capability for mobile measurement of hydrogen in ambient air. The technique will be further improved and tested by the PGR and used for campaigns within the UK to locate and quantify emissions of hydrogen and other gases from existing hydrogen production and other industrial facilities.

Long term records of hydrogen and other atmospheric species from Egham (Royal Holloway) and Weybourne Atmospheric Observatory will be used to improve understanding of the spatial and seasonal processes that control the atmospheric abundance of hydrogen.

A 3-month placement at Environmental Defense Fund (Europe) will provide an opportunity for the student to learn how new scientific findings are integrated into policy briefings and decision making at European level. The PGR will be primarily based in the UK during this placement, but there will also be time spent in the EDF Brussels office.

 

Training

The PGR will be trained in how to effectively collect atmospheric measurements for use in emission quantification and how to analyse these data using state of the art computer programming procedures.

The PGR will collaborate with research groups with extensive experience in atmospheric measurement and with the global atmospheric measurement community.

 

Person Specification

A numerate individual interested in atmospheric science and in carrying out field and laboratory measurements and analysis of data.

Acceptable first degree subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Engineering or other related disciplines.

 

Project code: FISHER_RHUL_ARIES26_CASE

All ARIES CASE studentships include a three to 18-month placement with the non-academic CASE partner during their period of study. The placement offers experience designed to enhance professional development.

References

  • Standen, I., Fisher, R., France, J., Lowry, D., Lanoiselle, M., & Nisbet, E. (2025). ‘Development of Instrumentation for Mobile Measurements of Hydrogen Emissions’. In EGU General Assembly 2025. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-9950
  • Ocko, I. B. and Hamburg, S. P. (2022). ‘Climate consequences of hydrogen emissions’, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 9349–9368, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9349-2022, 2022.
  • Forster, G.L., Sturges, W.T., Fleming, Z.L., Bandy, B.J. and Emeis, S. (2012)., ‘A year of H2 measurements at Weybourne Atmospheric Observatory, UK’, Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 64(1), https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v64i0.17771.
  • Dowd, E., Manning, A.J., Orth-Lashley, B., Girard, M., France, J., Fisher, R.E., Lowry, D., Lanoisellé, M., Pitt, J.R., Stanley, K.M., O'Doherty, S., Young, D., Thistlethwaite, G., Chipperfield, M.P., Gloor, E. & Wilson, C. (2024). 'First validation of high-resolution satellite-derived methane emissions from an active gas leak in the UK', Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 1599-1615. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1599-2024.
  • Pétron, G., Crotwell, A. M., Mund, J., Crotwell, M., Mefford, T., Thoning, K., Hall, B., Kitzis, D., Madronich, M., Moglia, E., Neff, D., Wolter, S., Jordan, A., Krummel, P., Langenfelds, R., and Patterson, J. (2024) ‘Atmospheric H2 observations from the NOAA Cooperative Global Air Sampling Network’, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4803–4823, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4803-2024.

Key Information

  • This studentship has been shortlisted for funding under the UKRI NERC DLA funding scheme and will commence on 1 October 2026. The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 7 January 2026.
  • Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a fully-funded studentship, which covers fees, maintenance stipend (£20,780 p.a. for 2025/26) and a research training and support grant (RTSG). A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees being waived by the registering university. Please note, however, that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK, such as visa costs or the health surcharge.
  • ARIES postgraduate researchers (PGRs) benefit from bespoke training and ARIES provides £2,500 to every student for access to external training, travel and conferences, on top of all Research Costs associated with the project. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses.
  • ARIES is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion in all areas of its operation. We encourage enquiries and applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation and transgender status. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience, and our recruitment process considers potential with the same weighting as past experience.
  • All ARIES studentships may be undertaken on a part-time or full-time basis. International applicants should check whether there are any conditions of visa or immigration permission that preclude part-time study. All advertised project proposals have been developed with consideration of a safe, inclusive and appropriate research and fieldwork environment with respect to protected characteristics. If you have any concerns, please contact us.
  • For further information, please contact the supervisor. To apply for this Studentship, follow the instructions at the bottom of the page or click the 'apply now' link.
  • ARIES is required by our funders to collect Equality and Diversity Information from all of our applicants. The information you provide will be used solely for monitoring and statistical purposes; it will remain confidential and will be stored on the UEA SharePoint server. Data will not be shared with those involved in making decisions on the award of Studentships and will have no influence on the success of your application. It will only be shared outside of this group in an anonymised and aggregated form. You will be asked to complete the form by the University to which you apply.
  • ARIES studentships are subject to UKRI terms and conditions. Postgraduate Researchers are expected to live within reasonable distance of their host organisation for the duration of their studentship. Please see https://www.ukri.org/publications/terms-and-conditions-for-training-funding/ for more information.

Apply Now

Apply now via the  Royal Holloway Application Portal