A York university has reported a "significant" breakthrough in its net zero research.

A project led by the Biorenewables Development Centre at the University of York has become the first to successfully produce hydrogen at scale, whilst also capturing the carbon dioxide released to reduce atmospheric pollution.

"Hydrogen is considered to be a cleaner and safer alternative to oil and gas for heating and some modes of transport," the university said.

"The production of hydrogen can release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere resulting in environmental concerns."

Researchers are now looking to expand the potential of the new technology to support the UK's net zero ambitions. In order to produce ‘clean hydrogen’, experts have been investigating how to produce the quantities of gas needed whilst also capturing the carbon dioxide.

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Penny Cunningham, programme operations manager at the Biorenewables Development Centre, said: "Successfully demonstrating integrated hydrogen production with carbon capture represents a significant technical breakthrough for the H2Boost project.

"Our novel approach to producing clean hydrogen from waste while removing CO2 is not only technically feasible but also holds significant promise for large-scale sustainable energy solutions in the future."

The H2Boost project, in partnership with the University of Leeds and funded by the government’s £1 billion 'net zero innovation portfolio', was achieved by transforming everyday waste into clean hydrogen through a process called dark fermentation.

Experts and industry leaders believe that new technologies have the potential to play a crucial role in decarbonising the UK's transport sector, with low-carbon hydrogen technologies expected to provide up to 35 per cent of the country's energy requirements by 2050.