The vision for HySAGO is to establish a globally recognised centre for groundbreaking interdisciplinary research on the safety and governance of hydrogen as an energy carrier in society.
This is a proposed Centre of Excellence – Senter for fremragende forskning – from the University of Bergen.
Energy forecasts and strategies predict a significant increase in the use of hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels as energy carriers in society.
The energy infrastructure must transition towards sustainable use of conventional hydrocarbons and an increasing share of renewable energy sources in the global energy mix. The variable and intermittent supply of energy from solar and wind points to energy systems based on hydrogen or hydrogen-based fuels as the primary energy carrier. Existing technologies can convert energy from renewable or non-renewable sources into hydrogen, hydrogen can be stored and transported in compressed, liquid or chemical form, and energy converters, such as turbines and fuel cells, can deliver electrical or mechanical energy and heat on demand.
The overall objective of HySAGO is to create groundbreaking interdisciplinary knowledge on the safety and governance of hydrogen as an energy carrier in society.
The following secondary objectives support this aim:
- To investigate critical physical phenomena by means of experiments and multiscale modelling.
- To challenge contemporary paradigms of safety, security and risk for emerging technologies.
- To understand individual perception and decision-making related to hydrogen as an energy carrier.
- To explore how legal frameworks influence the deployment of hydrogen technologies.
- To analyse the support for, and the opposition to, hydrogen technologies amongst stakeholders (including the public), and how this influences the adoption of renewable energy sources.
- To create a flexible and inclusive centre for responsible interdisciplinary research.
- To disseminate science-based knowledge and raise awareness of hydrogen as an energy carrier through publications, education and public outreach.
Researchers at UiS
Department of Safety, Economics and Planning
Department of Safety, Economics and Planning
Department of Energy Resources
The accomplishments and extensive, yet complementary, expertise of the partner organisations and principal investigators (PIs) involved in HySAGO reflect the inherently interdiciplinary nature of the research activities in the prospective centre.
Trygve Skjold (UiB; Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences; Department of Physics and Technology) and Gisela Böhm (UiB; Faculty of Psychology; Department of Psychosocial Science) will share the role as Centre Director for HySAGO.
The other PIs in the centre are Ignacio Herrera Anchustegui (UiB; Faculty of Law), Michaël Tatham (UiB; Faculty of Social Sciences; Department of Comparative Politics), Ove Njå (UiS, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Industrial Economics, Risk Management and Planning), Sissel Haugdal Jore (UiS, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Industrial Economics, Risk Management and Planning), and Knut Vågsæther (USN; Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences; Department of Process, Energy and Environmental Technology).
All PIs from UiB are affiliated with the Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET), and the external PIs will also be affiliated with CET when the centre is operational.
