A consortium of British universities is exploring a collaborative project with partners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to create a Joint International Institute for Clean Hydrogen. The project was announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a visit to the Gulf.
Initially, Newcastle, Northumbria, Teesside, Durham and Cranfield universities will work with universities and research institutes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and industrial partners from both nations to accelerate progress towards Net Zero.
The initiative aims to educate the next generation of engineers, to develop research and create new businesses that will be key for achieving the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy resources.
A delegation from the universities is set to travel to Saudi in the coming months to progress the project.
The university partners said: "We welcome the government's announcement of our intention to collaborate with partners in Saudi Arabia to create the Joint International Institute for Clean Hydrogen.
"By working together to strengthen our international partnerships, our universities are providing the foundation for a research and innovation ecosystem that will put the UK at the forefront of the green energy agenda. This will benefit local communities, create jobs, provide a pipeline of skilled graduates and amplify the global reach of our research."
With the support of our University Council, Durham is part of a group of universities, led by Newcastle University, who are developing an innovative research collaboration to foster excellent research into sustainable energy and to support economic development in the North East of England in this sector. Many details of this collaboration have yet to be worked out, but we welcome this opportunity to work together in an area of such importance to the future of our region, the UK and the rest of the world.
The North East is an academic and an engineering powerhouse which I am determined should become the home of the green energy revolution. I have worked alongside the Prime Minister to bring together universities in Saudi Arabia and the North East as we build the New Joint International Institute for Clean Hydrogen and I look forward and seek further green energy investment and opportunities for our region.
