Testing, inspection and certification services company Element, is to invest US$10 million into his hydrogen testing equipment and infrastructure worldwide to support anticipated growth in work.
According to Element, the world is accelerating the development of new energy sources, with hydrogen emerging as a crucial solution for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors including heavy industry, long-distance transport, and energy storage. The development and deployment of hydrogen technologies presents technical challenges in storage, handling, and use, making specialized testing capabilities critical for widespread adoption.
Element’s is investing US$10 million in its facilties around the world to provide the essential infrastructure needed to validate these complex technologies.
Dr Mark Eldridge, director of hydrogen at Element said, “Our technical leadership in hydrogen testing and certification is helping unlock the potential of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier.
“Our testing capabilities ensure that new technologies meet the highest safety and performance standards while accelerating their path to market. This is particularly crucial as the hydrogen ecosystem rapidly expands across automotive, aerospace, defence, and energy sectors.”
The company’s strategic testing locations include facilities in Aberdeen, Hitchin, and Kemble in the UK, Houston and California in the USA and Milan, Italy.
The Kemble laboratory, features the UK’s only dual gaseous and liquid hydrogen testing capability, can produce up to 15kg of liquid hydrogen daily (up to 40kg) and operates across temperatures from 18K to 800K in a fully ATEX-compliant environment.
Across the group hydrogen testing can reach scales of more than 2000kg. These facilities support the full technology lifecycle, from early architecture design through to qualification of complete systems.
“As the hydrogen economy scales up to meet urgent climate goals, independent testing and certification become increasingly critical,” added Eldridge. “Element’s global expertise and specialized facilities ensure that hydrogen technologies can be deployed with confidence across industries, helping accelerate the transition to a more sustainable energy future.”