UK Government Sets Out Strategy For Green Hydrogen Sector

The British government has set out its long term strategy for the development of a “thriving low carbon hydrogen sector in the UK.”

Hydrogen has long been touted as a more suitable power source for low emission vehicles, and are certainly a cleaner alternative that the current crop of electric vehicles (EVs) that contain toxic lithium ion batteries.

Announcing its hydrogen strategy, the UK government is aiming to develop “a thriving low carbon hydrogen sector in the UK to meet our ambition for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030.”

Hydrogen power

The government said that hydrogen is a low carbon solution which can help the UK to achieve net zero by 2050, and its sixth carbon budget target by 2035.

“As set out in the 10 point plan for a green industrial revolution, government, working with industry, is aiming for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy,” said the government.

“This level of hydrogen production could be equivalent to the amount of gas consumed by over 3 million households in the UK each year,” it added.

The UK’s first Hydrogen Strategy outline how the country will quickly scale up production of hydrogen; and how the government will support innovation and stimulate investment in the 2020s to scale up hydrogen production.

“With the potential to overcome some of the trickiest decarbonisation challenges facing our economy – including our vital industrial sectors – and secure economic opportunities across the UK, low carbon hydrogen has a critical role to play in our transition to net zero,” explained Kwasi Kwarteng, MP and MP Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

“This new, low carbon hydrogen could help provide cleaner energy to power our economy and our everyday lives – from cookers to distilleries, film shoots to power plants, waste trucks to steel production, and 40 tonne diggers to the heat in our homes,” said Kwarteng.

“Meeting our ambition means rapid ramp up of production and use of hydrogen over the coming decade,” added Kwarteng. “We have developed the first ever UK Hydrogen Strategy to set out clearly the key steps we need to take in the coming months and years to deliver against the promise that hydrogen presents – an exciting moment for technology providers, energy companies large and small, investors, innovators, and government at all levels.”

Kwarteng said that alongside the Hydrogen Strategy, the government is also publishing a number of consultations to gather views on its preferred Hydrogen Business Model, the design of its flagship £240m Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, and a UK Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard.

As far back as 2011 carbon-conscious data centre managers were being urged to examine hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative to diesel backup.