Physical Sciences/Engineering / UCLB
Scaling towards a clean energy future
In a little over eight years, UCLB spinout Bramble Energy has moved from university lab via founder Dr Tom Mason’s garage to a 34,000 foot state-of-the-art facility housing a team of over 80 staff.
Bramble’s vision is to unlock a viable route to widespread use of hydrogen fuel cells – a clean form of energy which is also highly efficient once in use – but whose adoption has been stymied in the past by high production costs.
The breakthrough innovation developed by Tom Mason and co-founders Professors Dan Brett and Anthony Kucernak of UCL and Imperial College London was a new type of hydrogen fuel cell. Using printed circuit board (PCB) technology, which is widely used in the electronics industry and available at low cost, Bramble’s fuel cells can be manufactured at speed and at scale, and in almost any size or arrangement. Indeed, PCBs are widely used in the electronics industry and are widely available at low cost.
Working with digital designs and a ready-made global manufacturing base for PCBs, Bramble has been able to prove its low-cost production model, says Dr Vidal Bharath, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer:
“The US Department of Energy set a target of $60 per kW, so that’s one of the milestones we’ve been working on. It’s something we can actually hit just from our unique manufacturing routes and also the way that our technology is designed.”
Adaptability by design
As well as the reduced cost and complexity to manufacture, PCB fuel cells are lighter and more adaptable than traditional stacks, opening up possibilities for applications across multiple sectors. The company is working with several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the automotive industry to explore how they can deliver Bramble’s products as part of their existing system.
“The simplification of our technology means that we can be a lot more flexible, so it really is defined by the user’s needs.” says Vidal, “Rather than just saying ‘here’s our stack’, and it’s up to them to fit within their system, we can adapt it to fit, which means it’s much more accessible.”
Pushing boundaries to innovate
Despite their size and commercial success, Bramble remains rooted in its origins as a university start-up.
According to Vidal: “it’s really about pushing the boundaries every day to see what might be better. And there is always room for improvement and so then we try again.”
They have continued to innovate, working on several grant-funded projects. These include a £12.7 million project as part of the Hydrogen Electric Integrated Drivetrain Initiative (HEIDI) to develop a hydrogen-powered double-decker bus. Jointly funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre and industry, it will see Bramble release a physical demonstrator for the bus early next year, incorporating a hugely powerful yet compact 100kW stack.
Earlier this year they also completed testing of the world’s first boat powered by hydrogen PCB fuel cell technology.
"The mantra on the wall is ‘Fail fast, learn and move on,’ and this ethos is evident in the commitment to pace and innovation."
Partnering for success
While the company’s growth has seen new partnerships flourish, relationships built in the early days continue to be important, not least those with UCL and UCL Business, UCL’s commercilalisation company. From input to Bramble’s Technical Advisory Board to connecting the growing business with skilled engineering talent, and investment from the UCL Technology Fund, the university’s support continues to be a key ingredient of Bramble’s success.
“Being able to imagine the idea that you can turn university research into commercial success and develop a company like Bramble, that’s fundamental. The support and the advice and the contacts that we have through UCLB, we don’t know what we would do without them really.”
Mission possible
The company faces a tougher market situation in some ways than when it was first founded. As policy commitments have shifted, so has market interest and funding, creating a degree of uncertainty. Yet the potential for hydrogen to play a leading role in energy transition remains.
With the cost of automotive fuel cells down by over 70% since 2008, an emissions-free future for transportation is increasingly attainable. And the urgency to decarbonise is only growing.
It is this understanding which continues to fuel Bramble’s ambition to power a Net Zero world, as Tom Mason explains:
“What drives us as a company is being part of the solution to the climate crisis. Our goal is delivering real-world solutions that can result in mass adoption of clean energy. Everyone is passionate about the mission, because our success is also a win for the planet.”