Government’s Hydrogen Strategy must develop green hydrogen as a major source of clean energy

“While we welcome positive steps like the new Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, overall the strategy doesn’t focus nearly enough on developing the UK’s world-leading green hydrogen industry.

“In the year when the UK is hosting the biggest climate change summit for years, we fear that international investors in renewable hydrogen may compare this strategy to those of other countries and vote with their feet. The Government must use the current consultation period to amend its plans and set out a clear ambition for green hydrogen.

“The UK has the potential to generate vast quantities of renewable hydrogen using clean electricity from offshore wind which can be stored and used whenever it’s needed, providing flexibility to our energy system. Green hydrogen is a clean fuel for sectors which have proved difficult to decarbonise so far, such as shipping and heat for heavy industry.

“We already have a head start in the global race to scale up the production of renewable hydrogen, with ground-breaking projects in development, such as the Gigastack project in the Humber, and world-class electrolyser manufacturers like ITM Power. We’re urging the Government to set a target of 5GW of renewable hydrogen electrolyser capacity by 2030 as well as setting out a roadmap to get us there, to show greater leadership on tackling climate change”.