Deeside pupils get hands-on experience with hydrogen fuel cell technology

Pupils from a Deeside primary school have benefitted from workshops delivered by Mad Science, inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.

A partnership between the North West Hydrogen Alliance (NHWA), industrial decarbonisation project HyNet, and Mad Science, a leading children’s science enrichment and education provider, has brought interactive workshops to ten schools across the North West and North Wales.

Over 350 students, including pupils from Penarlag Primary School explored climate change, carbon emissions, and renewable energy.

The workshops, which took place as part of the UK’s first national Hydrogen Week, aimed to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

They provided hands-on, engaging experiences for the pupils, teaching them about the importance of renewable energy sources, energy conservation, and the role of hydrogen as a low carbon energy source.

Pupils learned about climate change, fossil fuels, and carbon emissions in a fun, engaging manner, even getting the chance to interact with a prototype hydrogen-powered car to learn about hydrogen fuel cell energy production.

Linked to the Key Stage 2 curriculum, the workshops encouraged children to consider sustainability issues and the impact of climate change, rising temperatures, and melting ice caps.

Mad Science also provided workshop demonstrations at the NWHA’s major conference, ‘Delivering the Hydrogen Economy,’ held last month in Liverpool.

The event attracted over 250 delegates and speakers, including Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, INEOS Inovyn, Cadent Gas, Vertex Hydrogen, Enciric, Pilkington, and Carlton Power.

Professor Joe Howe, Chair of the NWHA and Executive Director Thornton Research Institute at the University of Chester, praised Mad Science for their engaging workshops, highlighting their ability to inspire young people and spark their natural curiosity.

He expressed delight at the number of local pupils who had already participated in the workshops, adding that he believes many of them will go on to explore and learn more about science, climate change, and technology, potentially becoming the hydrogen researchers and climate scientists of the future.

David Walker, HyNet Project Manager, emphasised the importance of engaging with younger generations and enabling more children in the North West of England and North Wales to benefit from science education.

Walker also highlighted HyNet’s role in enabling industries to switch from fossil fuels to low carbon hydrogen, significantly reducing their carbon dioxide emissions.

Tom Davies, Deputy Manager at Mad Science, expressed gratitude for the support of NWHA and Progressive Energy, which allowed them to reach more children across the North West and inspire them through science workshops. He noted that the children who participated in the workshops learned a great deal and had a lot of fun along the way.