With global reserves of fossil fuels being rapidly depleted, the scientists are looking at ways of introducing and commercialising hydrogen as an energy of the future.

How to make the technology as safe and reliable as traditional fossil energy is a problem which will be explored in depth at the international conference at the University of Ulster.

Cutting edge research on the topic is due to be revealed by up to 30 invited speakers from the US, UK, Japan, Canada, Norway, Russia and the Netherlands during the three day event.

The wider spectrum of accidental combustion issues will be discussed during the conference, including recent advances and directions for future research.

Professor Vladimir Molkov, Professor of Fire Safety Science at the university, said it was one of 25 partners in the European Network of Excellence HySafe.

"Hydrogen is being seen as an energy carrier of the future as oil resources are limited and oil is an obvious pollutant.

"Hydrogen has the advantage of being clean but technologies and applications allowing the use of hydrogen should provide at least the same level of safety, reliability and comfort as today`s fossil energy carriers," he said.

Those gathered at the Jordanstown campus for the conference were world class experts in the field of research, he said.

The conference is the second in a series organised by the university on the general theme of fire and explosion safety science.

The first, in 2000, linked Northern Ireland and Russian scientists. This time it links mainly Northern Ireland and Japan.

The guest lecture will be delivered by Professor Toshisuke Hirano, president of the Chiba Institute of Science in Japan and also a Visiting Professor at the University of Ulster.

Professor Molkov said: "The importance of basic research in accidental or unwanted combustion is growing with an increasing threat of terrorist attacks.

"Changes in the global market of energy resources also pose new questions to be answered.

"Safe introduction of hydrogen as an energy of the future requires deeper knowledge on the inter-related phenomena of hydrogen releases, ignition, combustion and mitigation at industrial scales in essentially unsteady conditions of accidents."

The conference runs from May 9-11 and will be held at the Loughview Suite of the University of Ulster at Jordanstown.