Liverpool engineering firm DefProc is one of 10 North West companies to secure a place on this year’s Hydrogen Innovation Challenge. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool engineering firm DefProc has joined a group of North West innovators on the Hydrogen Innovation Challenge.

DefProc, which was launched in a spare room by husband and wife team Patrick and Jen Fenner 10 years ago, is one of 10 businesses from the region on the challenge.

The Hydrogen Innovation Challenge from Sustainable Ventures – a climate tech hub – brings together innovators and established businesses in the North West to accelerate change towards a low-carbon economy.

Multi-disciplinary design engineers DefProc submitted its Smart Gas Pressure Sensor for the challenge.

Developed for Northern Gas Networks, the Smart Gas Pressure Sensor monitors low-pressure gas supply at NGN’s Low Thornley site near Gateshead. Successful testing and trials will see it rolled out to consumers across Yorkshire, the North East and Cumbria.

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DefProc will now receive one-to-one support for the rest of the year and the opportunity to present the Smart Gas Pressure Sensor at an innovation showcase in front of potential partners and regional end users.

The aim is that the Hydrogen Innovation Challenge will connect DefProc to a wider network of gas distributors looking to decarbonise their networks through innovation.

Managing director Jen Fenner said: “The Hydrogen Innovation Challenge is an incredible opportunity to showcase our capabilities as end-to-end design engineers and a market-leading innovation partner.

“We’ve worked on some revolutionary projects in recent years and the support from the Hydrogen Innovation Challenge will allow us to present these to a wider network of potential clients and make a tangible difference to the future of sustainability.”

In addition to the Smart Gas Pressure Sensor, which works with natural gas, blended hydrogen supply or 100% hydrogen, DefProc has designed and delivered the UK’s first low-cost domestic hydrogen sensor, H2Go.

Similar to the look and operation of a traditional smoke alarm, H2Go will be the basis for manufactured domestic hydrogen sensors in the future.