A scientist in Liverpool has lost more than a decade of work after the prefabricated building that served as his research lab was destroyed in a suspected arson attack.
Luke Evans, the chief executive of Scintilla CME and a PhD student at the University of Liverpool, was due to submit his work in March. His research centres on advanced fuel cell technology that converts organic waste into clean energy, and could be crucial in the transition away from fossil fuels.
The fuel cells are currently the only viable technology that could provide sustainable electricity for heavy industry and are specifically designed for large applications including heavy transport such as in ships and trains.
Evans, 45, was at home on Friday evening when he received a call to say his lab in the Wavertree area of the city was on fire. He arrived to find police had cordoned off the area and the building was alight.
“I was just in shock,” he said. “I couldn’t believe that had happened at this point. My experimental data and all the equipment to do those experiments was in there; log books, hard drives, sim cards with data on, all the materials to make a few more stacks, all the electronics to test those. It’s everything really, it feels like a nightmare.”
Evans, who has a young son, said he and his wife had made personal sacrifices, living on a low income while he self-funded his PhD to try to bring the technology to market. “In terms of going out for meals and going out at weekends, there’s not really been any of that,” he said. “It felt like it was finally time to make money. [My son] has just turned one, and it’s his future as well.”
Merseyside fire and rescue service and Merseyside police are running a joint investigation into the fire, while Evans is attempting to rebuild his work. “I don’t have any hope at the moment,” Evans said, but added: “We’ve set up a crowdfunding page, and then [will] just see if we can get back to where we were really, because it felt like we were in touching distance.”
Nicholas Abson, the founder of the fuel cell developer Cygnus Atratus, said: “This was a really, really breathtakingly new technology, and these people have destroyed all the testing of that technology, because that’s what basically was in that facility.
“Luke was completing his PhD, as well as working on all these projects, so it’s been a disaster for him, but it is not just a human interest story – it is more than that. It’s very important to this country. It’s very important for strategic energy.”
Police said that while the investigation was in its early stages, officers believed the fire was started deliberately. DI Mike Fletcher said: “Luckily nobody was injured at the time of the fire which has caused significant damage to the temporary buildings. I would like to appeal to anyone was in the vicinity at around 8.30pm onwards and noticed any suspicious activity then please let us know.
“I am also appealing for any drivers who were in the area at the time to please check your dashcam footage and get in touch if something suspicious was captured. This evidence could hold information that could be vital to our inquiries.”
