Fast-growing green H₂ technology start-up sHYp has moved into offices and laboratory space at The James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen with plans to expand to five staff onsite by summer. The move gives sHYp access to the institute’s specialist analytical equipment and expertise. This will help it to develop what could be the first electrolyzer able to produce H₂ from sea water, without the need for desalination, which traditional electrolysis techniques need.

sHYp says its technology, which splits seawater into H₂ and oxygen using renewable electricity, would also be able to extract by-products such as carbon dioxide and magnesium hydroxide, used in building and pharmaceuticals. This means it could add valuable income streams and reduce the price to customers of its green H₂.

The technology could then help any power users close to or at sea, such as ports and offshore vessels and facilities, to harness any surplus offshore renewable energy they produce by turning it into H₂.

Professor Deborah Roberts, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Science at The James Hutton Institute, said, “We are excited to welcome sHYp to our Craigiebuckler campus. We believe that having leading-edge companies like sHYP co-locate with us, sharing our facilities and social spaces, will benefit both us and them and, ultimately, help to stimulate innovation for the benefit of Aberdeen and our wider society as a whole.”

Jennie Morrison, director for sHYp BV in Scotland, now based at the institute, said, “We’re really happy to be here at The James Hutton Institute where we will be able to work on and develop our technology and grow our team in-house, instead of having to rely on external laboratory support.

“Laboratory space and access to specialist analytical and characterization equipment can be challenging, but it will be invaluable to us as we develop our technology here in Scotland. It’s also important to us to be based in Scotland, which we see as leading the way in H₂ technology development and could be a H₂ exporter in years to come.”

sHYp was recently awarded funding from the Net Zero Technology Center, which will allow it to increase its staffing from one to five in Aberdeen by summer. The first appointment will be an electrochemist, starting in March. The Delaware, U.S., based company, set up in 2019, joins a growing cohort of businesses based at The James Hutton Institute, supporting its Open Campus strategy.

Other companies now on site include GlykoGen, which is developing cancer treating antibodies, Isotopic, which performs geochemical studies for industry, Aberdeen City Council’s Scientific Services Laboratory, which supports everything from testing water quality to checking food and commercial goods production compliance and regional community climate action support hub NESCAN.