Partnership supports pioneering research into a scalable, low-carbon alternative to natural gas
Blended Products is proud to announce its role as an industrial partner in a significant clean energy research programme led by the University of Nottingham, focused on the development of Aqua-Ammonia (A-A) as a practical, scalable, low-carbon alternative to natural gas.
Aqua-Ammonia — a liquid mixture of ammonia and water — offers a compelling vision for the future of energy delivery. Unlike gaseous fuels such as hydrogen, it can remain liquid at ambient conditions, reducing compression requirements and enabling transport via pump-based systems. Research at Nottingham has demonstrated that low concentrations of A-A could match the energy transport capacity of current natural gas networks, while remaining at concentrations comparable to common household cleaning products.
The University has already patented a novel ammonia separation technology at the heart of this work, and the research programme has attracted a consortium of leading industrial and institutional partners, including Northern Gas Networks, National Gas, Worcester Bosch, Vaillant Group, Nottingham City Council, Vital Energy, the Hydrogen Energy Association, and Talus Renewable.
Blended Products is contributing as a supply chain partner across two key application areas:
- Steam power generation applications
- Marine and bunkering systems
These are fields where Blended Products’ deep expertise in specialist fluid and gas handling can support the commercialisation of aqua-ammonia technology at scale.
“At Blended Products, we believe that real progress toward net zero requires industry to stand alongside academia and back the most promising science with practical support. The University of Nottingham’s Aqua-Ammonia research is exactly the kind of bold, systems-level thinking that could reshape how the UK — and the world — delivers energy. We’re honoured to be part of this consortium and look forward to helping translate this research into deployable solutions.”
— Alex Robinson, Blended Products
The research roadmap sets ambitious milestones: a fully functioning Aqua-Ammonia boiler by 2030, a heat pump system by 2035, and a port-side ammonia storage and conversion demonstration by the end of 2027. Thermodynamic studies have projected thermal efficiencies as high as 97% for residential heating, alongside a significantly smaller network footprint than existing gas infrastructure.
Blended Products sees this partnership as a long-term commitment — not only to the University of Nottingham’s programme, but to the broader energy transition. As the UK’s heating and energy systems evolve, Blended Products is committed to ensuring its capabilities are deployed where they can make the greatest difference.
