Clyde Hydrogen Systems, a trailblazing Scottish startup, has announced the completion of its first fully integrated hydrogen production prototype—a landmark moment that validates the company’s technology and marks a major milestone in its growth.

 

The company’s pioneering decoupled electrolysis system aims to make hydrogen production safer, simpler, and cheaper than conventional methods. Unlike current systems, Clyde Hydrogen’s technology can connect directly to renewable power sources and store hydrogen in a non-gaseous form, addressing some of the industry’s biggest challenges and offering a viable solution for long-term energy storage.

 

Last year, the startup achieved a technical breakthrough by producing high-pressure hydrogen via its innovative process for the first time. With the prototype now complete, Clyde Hydrogen plans to scale up to a commercial demonstrator, targeting a market-ready product by 2028.

 

A spin-out from the University of Glasgow’s School of Chemistry, the company is confident its technology will redefine green hydrogen production. Clyde Hydrogen is now seeking up to £5 million in seed funding to develop its first commercial product and expand its team to meet growing demand.

 

Backed by pre-seed investments from Zinc, the University of Glasgow, and Dale Vince’s Ecotricity, along with grants from the Scottish Government’s Hydrogen Innovation Scheme and the Net Zero Technology Centre, Clyde Hydrogen has already forged industry partnerships. In 2025, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Hebrides-based hydrogen producer PlusZero to demonstrate its technology outside the lab for the first time.

 

James Peck, CEO of Clyde Hydrogen, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the team in completing the build of our first fully integrated prototype. It’s a massive moment for the business and will allow us to show potential investors and customers that our technology is here and offers a real shift in the way hydrogen is produced and utilised. 

 

"We will now focus on finding the right partners for the next stage of our growth journey as we move towards demonstrating the benefits of our revolutionary technology within a real world application.”

 

Professor Mark Symes, co-inventor of the technology, added: “The journey from my first tiny-scale experiments in glassware with cobbled-together equipment to the expertly engineered system that the Clyde Hydrogen team has created has been quite simply staggering. 

 

"While there have been many highs and lows typical of any pioneering startups wishing to challenge the status quo, today’s news marks a pivotal moment for the business as we make hydrogen from our integrated prototype for the first time. We will now push on from here to make an integrated end-to-end system for field trials and sales, and I’m confident that Clyde Hydrogen’s unique technology will prove to be a revolution for the production of green hydrogen.”