Plans to build 'explosion-proof' lab for secret projects in Nottingham approved

The University of Nottingham has asked for permission to turn former site of Carlton Furniture Showroom on Triumph Road into an innovative testing ground
-Credit:Google Street View


The University of Nottingham has been granted approval to build an "explosion-proof" science facility for confidential projects on the site of the former Carlton Furniture Showroom.

Nottingham City Council green-lit the plans, designed to keep scientific breakthroughs confidential. The wasteland, on the university's Triumph Road campus, will house research into how hydrogen could be used to cleanly power cars, planes and ships.

Conventional fuels release carbon into the atmosphere during combustion – contributing to global warming - but hydrogen technology emits zero carbon dioxide. The hydrogen propulsion lab is expected to be operational by mid-2026.

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The original proposal requested permission for "the construction of a Zero Carbon Transition Centre (ZCTC) compromising test cells, control rooms and ancillary staff facilities. The purpose of this building is to test hydrogen propulsion systems in collaboration with industry partners."

Professor Chris Gerada, Professor of Electrical Machines and lead for strategic research and innovation initiatives at the University of Nottingham, said: “A new hydrogen lab for the East Midlands is a leap forward in establishing the region’s leadership in zero carbon innovation on the world stage.

"It is this region that has the right place, the right people, and the right technologies that industries need to achieve their decarbonisation ambitions.”

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The two-storey facility will feature no windows in order to maintain "explosion proofing and confidentiality".

However, the city council has listed a slew of requirements that must be met before building or occupation of the site can begin.

These criteria include approval of all building materials, flood risk assessments, the planting of native trees and plants on the grounds, and meeting air quality regulations.

The council cites the National Planning Policy Framework's note that "the creation of high quality buildings and places is fundamental to what the planning and development process should achieve," while it also adds that the lab "seeks to increase biodiversity," and "will be expected to mitigate against and adapt to climate change".

The brownfield site was formerly a kitchen and furniture showroom featuring several single-storey commercial buildings that were demolished in 2022. Access to the development's planning application documents can be found here.