Swindon & Wiltshire News
MP calls West research centre ‘a true model of British innovation’
An MP who backs hydrogen as an alternative fuel for aviation has visited a West research centre, calling it ‘a true model of British innovation’.
North Somerset MP Sadik Al-Hassan visited the Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS) on the Bristol & Bath Science Park, to get an overview of the world-leading aviation and hydrogen research taking place at Bath University – where he studied pharmacy and later tutored in the subject.
With Bristol Airport within his constituency, the MP is keen to champion the potential of hydrogen as a future fuel source for aviation and to decarbonising flight.
He recently called for a Parliamentary debate focused on the opportunities and challenges of developing hydrogen for aviation.
As air travel is projected to grow substantially in the coming years, reducing emissions and decarbonising flight remain pressing challenges.
Sadik believes hydrogen-powered aviation could simultaneously drive economic growth, create jobs, attract investment, and meet the UK’s net zero targets.
Hydrogen combustion emits only water vapour and no CO₂, making it zero carbon at the point of use.
However, substantial engineering challenges remain — including aircraft design, hydrogen production, and storage — before hydrogen-powered flight becomes a reality.
IAAPS and the University of Bath are playing a leading role in addressing these challenges and are planning to expand their capabilities in the near future.
IAAPS is a leader in hydrogen research and development. Its green hydrogen production plant – the first of its kind in the South West – can produce up to 10kg of hydrogen gas per hour, powering the centre’s research and innovation needs.
This includes projects focused on cryogenic hydrogen – cooling hydrogen to extremely low temperatures to produce liquid hydrogen.
The team is also developing a funding bid to support UK aerospace in developing, testing, and certifying net-zero propulsion technologies, with a focus on liquid hydrogen and hybrid-electric propulsion systems.
During his visit to IAAPS, Sadik toured the facilities and learnt more about the University’s historic and ongoing hydrogen and aviation research, as well as its future ambitions.
He was joined on the tour by professor Rob Oliver, IAAPS managing director, professor Xiaoze (Shirley) Pei, professor in sustainable transport, and professor Richard Butler, professor of aerospace omposites.
“It was great to visit the IAAPS facility – a true model of British innovation that highlights our future role as a global tech hub,” said Sadik.
“As a University of Bath alumnus, I’m particularly proud to see how IAAPS, as a subsidiary of the university, brings together international partners to develop novel solutions for the challenges facing our world today.
“I remain passionate about developing and accelerating hydrogen’s role as a future aviation fuel, helping us achieve our climate ambitions while providing sustainable transport for all our futures.”
Professor Oliver said: “We were delighted to welcome Sadik to IAAPS to showcase to him how we are addressing pressing challenges in transport decarbonisation, whilst also supporting skills and investment in the region.
“Decarbonising aviation represents a significant engineering challenge, and at IAAPS we are actively working with our network of commercial partners to help address this.
“The development and adoption of hydrogen for future flight offers a real opportunity for IAAPS, the University of Bath more broadly and the wider region.”
Prof Xiaoze Pei added: “Our ambition is to achieve cryogenic and superconducting electric propulsion systems for hydrogen aviation.
“We think there is a unique opportunity here at IAAPS with the University of Bath to develop, test and mature these enabling technologies to help decarbonise aviation – and we’re excited to work with Sadik to help advance this work at pace.”
Pictured: Prof Rob Oliver, Sadik Al-Hassan MP, professor Xiaoze Pei, and professor Richard Butler at IAAPS Hydrogen production and storage facility
