Cranfield University has officially opened a brand-new facility to tackle crucial challenges around energy transition and decarbonisation technologies. The Cranfield Future Energy Laboratories were opened by Dr Kim Hackett, Director for System Health and Sustainability at Research England, the major capital funder of the project.
The new facility offers sequenced laboratories specially designed to create, analyse and test substrates to produce catalysts, sorbents and other functional materials for new fuel products and processes. Adhering to high safety standards, the laboratories have distinctive capabilities to handle and test with complex gases and materials including hydrogen, ammonia, biofuels and alternative fuels.
Within the new laboratories, collaborative workspaces and innovation areas, a community of academic experts, students and industry partners will work in close partnership on future fuels. They will develop, test and scale up solutions vital to low carbon ambitions in power, heavy industries, aviation, transport, manufacturing and other critical industries, as well as greenhouse gas removal technologies.
Dr Kim Hackett of Research England said: "The Cranfield Future Energy Laboratories is a high-impact facility that will turn theoretical science into scalable technologies. It is an environment where new ideas can be rapidly developed and demonstrated, accelerating our journey towards clean, affordable and resilient energy systems. The key ingredient is collaboration – bringing together academia, government and industry - and this is something that Cranfield does particularly well."
One of the UK's most advanced future energy research centres
The Cranfield Future Energy Laboratories form a central part of the University's wider Cranfield Future Energy project, fundamentally focused on industry needs. This supports research across the full energy supply chain, from production, storage and distribution through to deployment and environmental impact assessment.
The Cranfield Power and Propulsion Laboratories (CPPL), opened in November 2025, are part of this wider infrastructure, together with a new multi-zone experimental test area for advanced gaseous and liquid hydrogen applications; an accelerator facility for pathways from waste to hydrogen and synthetic fuels; and a materials and structures hub supporting testing in cryogenic environments. Along with Cranfield's Airport, the facilities create one of the UK's most comprehensive and advanced research centres for future fuels and energy, supporting developments in sustainable aviation, advanced propulsion, hydrogen systems and clean industrial processes.
Professor Dame Karen Holford DBE FREng, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University, said: "This is a major investment in the facilities, talent and partnerships needed to deliver a more sustainable future. We hugely appreciate the contributions we have already received from our industrial partners and welcome our new partners who are very much part of the future energy agenda.
“The new laboratories are a space where academia and industry can work together to accelerate innovation, overcome technical challenges, and translate research into real-world impact. I'm proud that in our 80th year, Cranfield is still shaping the future and stepping up to answer global challenges that impact us all."
The Cranfield Future Energy programme is supported by a £69 million investment from Research England and industry partners, and continues to welcome enquiries from further potential industry partners.
