September 26, 2025: Lead-based battery-electrolyser technology developed by a UK university has received an ‘outstanding international impact’ accolade at the 2025 Hydrogen Awards.
Loughborough University announced on September 19 it had secured the award at a ceremony in Birmingham, marking its second consecutive Hydrogen Awards win.
The honour comes three years after the Consortium for Battery Innovation said it was supporting the university’s proposals to deploy lead battery technology as part of two projects to provide innovative energy storage systems for Africa.
Earlier in September, the first full-scale containerised battery-electrolyser was shipped to a rural hospital in Malawi. The university said it will provide solar-powered energy storage for lighting and medical equipment, while producing green hydrogen for clean cooking.
This year’s Hydrogen Awards judging panel praised Loughborough’s technology for its potential in both energy storage and green hydrogen production, particularly providing energy access in underserved regions and to off grid communities.
Developed by the Battery-Electrolyser Team at Loughborough University’s Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, the technology has redesigned the traditional lead acid battery.
The battery-electrolyser cells can store renewable electricity and also produce high-purity hydrogen when overcharged.
Built entirely from widely available, recyclable materials, it provides a low-cost and scalable alternative to standard electrolysers, the university said.
Parallel international projects, including a demonstrator at Loughborough University as part of the East Midlands Zero Carbon Innovation Centre, will also demonstrate the system’s adaptability in various community settings.
Professor Dani Strickland, project lead and director of EnerHy, the EPSRC Engineering Hydrogen Net Zero Centre for Doctoral Training, said: “Our battery-electrolyser shows how rethinking established technologies can unlock new pathways for clean energy access and hydrogen production – especially in communities that are often left behind.”
