Innovate UK Smart Grant £350,000 to advance a carbon-negative hydrogen pilot plant
Wild Hydrogen has been awarded a £350,000 Innovate UK Smart Grant, ranking in the top 3% of over 1,400 applicants with a score of 92%. The award provides UK Government validation of our patented Rising Pressure Reformer (RiPR) technology and underlines our position as one of the UK’s most investable clean energy ventures.
The 18‑month pilot programme – supported by a further £300,000 in matched private investment – will accelerate the scale‑up of RiPR. This system uses Supercritical Water Reforming (SCWR) to transform low‑value waste streams such as food residues, agricultural by‑products and plastics into hydrogen, biomethane, biochar and captured carbon dioxide. By design, the process is carbon‑negative and cost‑competitive with fossil fuels.
James Milner, CEO of Wild Hydrogen, said:
“Securing this Innovate UK Smart Grant is powerful recognition that our RiPR technology has the potential to transform global energy. We are now validating hydrogen and biomethane production at scale – turning waste from a liability to an income stream, delivering carbon-negative fuels, and creating a pathway to a fossil-free future.With UK Government support alongside matched investor capital, we are accelerating towards commercial deployment of technology designed to redefine how the world sources its clean energy. More than anything, I am proud of our team – this success validates their talent and relentless commitment.”
Project objectives
- A 3-month end-to-end RiPR demonstration, with external validation from CPI
- Development of a multi-fuel heating system operating on hydrogen, methane, or syngas
- Continued collaboration with Dr Hyungwoong Ahn, University of Edinburgh, advancing the PSA SPUR purification system
- Industrial-scale trials of a wide range of novel feedstocks to build the UK’s first chemical database for supercritical water reforming
Why it matters: Problem → Solution
Green hydrogen today costs over £9/kg in the UK and depends on scarce platinum group metals, while biomethane production is constrained by intensive pre-treatment. At the same time, millions of tonnes of waste are landfilled or incinerated, generating emissions.
RiPR solves both problems by directly reforming waste into clean fuels – carbon-negative, decentralised, energy self-sufficient, and cost competitive with fossil gas (<£2/kg threshold).
Market & impact
This breakthrough is tightly aligned with the UK Government’s Net Zero strategy and the ambition to deploy 10 GW of hydrogen capacity by 2030.
The UK’s hydrogen market alone is projected to grow to £2.9 billion by 2030, and RiPR technology offers a unique investment opportunity in a sector poised to expand exponentially. For investors, policymakers, and partners, the message is clear: with Innovate UK’s backing, Wild Hydrogen is positioned as a frontrunner in the race to deliver carbon‑negative hydrogen and biomethane at scale.
From waste to wealth
We are already proving this vision by converting SUEZ waste streams and pipeline plastics with Wales & West Utilities into methane-rich gas. These early trials demonstrate RiPR’s versatility and value.
If you have waste streams that are costly or complex to manage, now is the time to test them. Be among the first to show how your waste can fuel the clean energy transition.
