The Fuel Cells & Hydrogen and Joint Undertaking, a €1.4billion programme to support research and innovation in green energy across Europe, has published a major international report, with Manchester Metropolitan University representing the entire North West region of England.
The University officially opened the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre (MFCIC) in September 2018, a £4.1m facility in the heart of the city centre, dedicated to developing new sources of sustainable, emission free energy and making it available to small businesses in the region.
The report, titled ‘Fuel Cells and Hydrogen for Green Energy in European Cities and Regions’, finds that fuel cell and hydrogen technology could create 30 million jobs across Europe, and enhance the continent’s economy by $2,000 billion in annual sales.
A more localised report, published in May 2018, concluded that hydrogen power in the North West of England could boost the regional economy by £1.6bn GBP and create more than 5,000 jobs.
Amer Gaffar, Director of the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre, said: “We are proud to represent the North West in this significant project that spans Europe, demonstrating that the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre is at the cutting edge of research and innovation in hydrogen and fuel cell energy.
“There are huge economic, social and environmental benefits to be gained from the deployment of this emission-free energy, and we aim to open up these benefits to as many people as possible, across Greater Manchester, the UK and the rest of the world.
“We’ll do this through working with business and industry on how to harness sustainable hydrogen power, going into schools to teach kids about green energy, and through shaping regional policy.
“The wide-scale adoption of hydrogen and fuel cell technology will generate more jobs, a stronger economy, a healthier environment and better quality of life for everyone.”
