Committees

Ministers questioned on hydrogen potential in Scotland

12 January 2023

The Scottish and UK governments will be giving evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee as MPs conclude evidence gathering for its inquiry on Hydrogen and carbon capture in Scotland. This session comes within a week of the Scottish Government publishing its draft Energy Strategy which outlined its ambitions around hydrogen.

Witnesses

Monday 16 January, Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

At 3.00pm

  • Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Scottish Government
  • Susan Stirling, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage Team Leader, Energy Industries Division, Scottish Government
  • Stuart McKay, Head of Hydrogen Policy, Scottish Government

At 4.00pm

  • Graham Stuart MP, Minister of State (Minister for Climate), Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), UK Government
  • Stefanie Murphy, Director of Hydrogen and Industrial Carbon Capture Directorate, BEIS
  • Alison Conboy, Deputy Director, Hydrogen Production, BEIS

Both governments have published numerous policy documents outlining how they intend to maximise the potential of hydrogen as an energy source, with significant financial backing. This includes the Scottish Government’s Hydrogen Policy Statement and its Hydrogen Assessment Report. In its draft Energy Strategy, the Scottish Government outlined its ambition for hydrogen to provide the equivalent of 15% of Scotland’s current energy needs by 2030. Meanwhile, the UK Government included hydrogen in its Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and published a UK Hydrogen Strategy.

The evidence session offers members the opportunity to put questions to government based on the evidence it has collated throughout the inquiry. Some of the likely areas of questioning include:

  • Effectiveness of UK and Scottish government collaboration on hydrogen projects;
  • Working with the private sector to better understand constraints and opportunities for hydrogen projects;
  • Hydrogen heating in homes;
  • Jobs and skills development;
  • Grid capacity;
  • Long-term hydrogen storage.

Further information 

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