Photonics-based hydrogen sensing with King’s College London (KCL)

The energy transition needs hydrogen to replace natural gas in electricity production, and a healthy hydrogen sector needs digital capabilities to support its end-to-end supply chain. Safe and reliable deployments of hydrogen at scale depends on robust sensing and monitoring infrastructure, detecting hydrogen leaks accurately across diverse operational environments.   

However, conventional hydrogen sensing technologies carry inherent operational constraints that limit their suitability in safety-critical or extreme environments. Photonics-based hydrogen sensing offers a promising alternative.  

Digital Catapult’s team of deep tech experts converted the lab-based metamaterial-based hydrogen sensing research, developed by the Photonics & Nanotechnology group in the Department of Physics at King’s College London, into an operational pilot-scale photonics-based hydrogen detection demonstrator. This solution enables passive intrinsically safe detection with no electrical energy required at the sensing tip. The sensors developed by King’s College London are a gamechanger, and Digital Catapult bridged the gap between academic research and industrial application through: 

• Research and market analysis, including use case selection and validation through structured engagement with hydrogen industry experts  

• Technology selection, system design, hardware procurement, demonstrator build, testing, and laboratory validation 

As part of the Hydrogen Innovation Initiative (HII), funded by Innovate UK, this collaboration advanced sensing and monitoring capabilities for hydrogen application by developing and validating light source technologies that can be adapted to different industrial environments and use cases. Digital Catapult ensures that deep tech innovation is not just scientifically valid but practically deployable and aligned with industry requirements, equipping the UK to be future ready.