Performance and Emissions of Hydrogen Industrial Burners

As the UK accelerates towards net zero, hydrogen is emerging as a key low-carbon alternative for industrial heating. This collaborative project between Teesside University and Warmatic Ltd is focused on advancing hydrogen-ready burner technology – helping industry transition to cleaner energy sources without compromising performance, safety or reliability.

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Challenge

The transition from natural gas to hydrogen for industrial heating presents significant technical challenges. Hydrogen behaves very differently to conventional fuels: it has a wide flammability range, a high flame speed, and produces a nearly invisible flame. These characteristics create operational risks, including flame instability, flashback, thermal runaway, and difficulties in reliable flame detection.

For Warmatic Ltd, the key challenge was to adapt existing industrial burner systems to operate safely and efficiently with hydrogen-enriched fuels (such as G20), while maintaining performance and meeting emerging regulatory standards.

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Solution

This project brings together academic expertise and industry insight to develop practical, scalable solutions for hydrogen-ready industrial burners. Using advanced combustion facilities at Teesside University, the research team is conducting experimental testing to evaluate current burner performance and identify limitations.

The project focuses on developing:

• low-cost UV-cell flame detection systems for improved safety
• flashback protection mechanisms
• optimised combustion control strategies for hydrogen-enriched fuels.

These innovations aim to support the development of burners capable of achieving British Standards Institution certification for hydrogen readiness.

The project sits within the heat decarbonisation strand of the Research England Hydrogen Innovation Programme and draws on expertise in combustion, energy systems and hydrogen technologies from a collaborative research team across Teesside and Durham universities.

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Impact

This project has the potential to deliver a significant step forward in the safe and cost-effective use of hydrogen for industrial heating. By enabling commercially viable hydrogen-ready burners, it supports the wider decarbonisation of the UK heating sector.

Key impacts include:

• accelerating the transition to low-carbon industrial heating
• supporting regional growth of the hydrogen economy in the Tees Valley
• enabling new investment and job creation in clean energy technologies
• strengthening industry–academic collaboration aligned with the Research Excellence Framework through real-world impact.