Episode 4 

Hydrogen in Practice: Safety, Standards & Student Innovation (Networking Episode)
Host: Zia-Melchior Hoseini
Guests:
Jack Samways – MSA Safety, Business Development Lead for Hydrogen (UK)
Mick Gast – Team Manager, Team Solid (TU/e)

First part of the episode is recorded at the Clean Hydrogen Partnership event in Brussels and the second in the TU/e campus. In Part 1, Jack Samways, who works at MSA Safety in the hydrogen detection and flame monitoring field, elucidates hydrogen market development, safety challenges, standardization, and policy support from the UK-EU point of view. Part 2 shifts to Eindhoven with Mick Hust, team manager of the award-winning Team Solid, who shares insights into a cutting-edge student initiative building iron-based hydrogen storage solutions. It’s an episode that seamlessly bridges the professional and student innovation worlds in hydrogen.

Jack emphasizes that building a functioning hydrogen economy must begin with top-down government investment. Public funding and clear regulation are prerequisites to scaling both hydrogen production and usage in vehicles and industry. “It has to start from the top… Governments need to invest heavily to reduce fossil fuel dependency and make hydrogen viable.” A major hurdle in deployment: the lack of universal safety standards. MSA’s role includes deploying gas leak detectors, hydrogen flame sensors, and using gas-mapping software to design safety systems for electrolysis plants and storage facilities. “Hydrogen burns invisibly, so safety tech must detect what the eye can’t. But we lack standardized rules on placements and thresholds.” Despite Brexit, Jack notes the UK remains actively involved in the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and still contributes to EU-led efforts. While logistical delays have increased slightly, the hydrogen sector remains globally interconnected. “We may have left the EU, but we’re still part of Europe—and the clean hydrogen movement.” Hydrogen’s cost and adoption face a loop: infrastructure won’t grow without demand, and demand won’t grow without supply certainty. Jack sees government subsidies as key to making electrolysis and green hydrogen competitive. “Once people know hydrogen is available, they’ll invest in infrastructure. Supply needs to come first” Jack mentioned. You can find information about the MSA and Jack on LinkedIn.

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Mick Hust introduces Team Solid, a student team dedicated to creating circular, compact, and safe hydrogen storage through iron-based systems. Their mission is to provide energy “for anyone, at any time.” He adds that “We’ve moved from iron combustion to iron-steam hydrogen storage. Their proof-of-concept stores and releases one kilo of hydrogen—now we’re scaling up!", Team Solid is the winner of the KIVI Best Student Project and Best Tech Idea awards. They’re designing a new large-scale reactor to prove industry viability. “Our team is fully volunteer-based—students working as a non-profit startup, scaling hydrogen storage from lab to real-world industry.” Mick mentioned. 

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