Written Evidence Submitted by Hydrogen Accelerator

(HNZ0064)

Hydrogen has a critical role to play in the UK achieving its decarbonisation targets.  Hydrogen is highly suited to supporting sectors that are complex to decarbonise such as transport, heavy industry, agriculture and fishery.

Learning from projects already underway across the UK, it is evident that significant scale of project deployment is crucial if the UK is to meet its challenging net zero targets but also achieve its ambitions of a green recovery - job creation, diversification of skills from sectors such as the Oil and Gas sector and developing UK wide supply chain opportunities.

In terms of co-ordinating proposed measurements and developing models to stimulate widespread adaptation, the Hydrogen Accelerator would like to see a UK-wide hydrogen catapult to achieve business transformation through collaborative research and development that informs and guides public policy. This catapult would drive

• Cutting edge research and development to achieve decarbonisation through hydrogen adoption
• Routes to access new high value markets built around hydrogen in sectors, such as transport, domestic and commercial heating, industrial processes and power generation
• The creation of new high value jobs linked to innovation and a framework that nurtures a growing pool of talent in hydrogen related manufacturing and services
• A national capability in hydrogen in line with emerging policy to stimulate low and zero carbon hydrogen production and utilisation
• Private and public sector confidence in adopting hydrogen-based technologies sufficient to underpin real growth

Acting as the central hydrogen hub, the Hydrogen Catapult would collaborate with organisations such as the Hydrogen Accelerator already based in Scotland (a partnership between University of St Andrews and Strathclyde University), which is actively involved in major project developments, building on the success of initiatives across our regions, but moving to large scale.  Collaboration between the two organisations would drive adaptation of hydrogen into large scale deployments across the UK, such as fuel cell electric transport (including trains, marine, aviation) and hydrogen refuelling hubs to be accessed by public/private sector organisations.

Ground-breaking steps have been taken by coupling hydrogen production with renewables both on and offshore, the retrofitting and deployment of hydrogen fleet vehicles and the repurposing of oil and gas infrastructure (creating revenue streams not only for oil and gas but for freight and maritime refuelling). These should be expanded to the rest of the UK to create growth and generate investment propositions, creating a market-leading position for the UK in the global hydrogen sector.

Following the departure of the UK from the European Union, the Catapult would play a vital role in continuing a strong, collegiate relationship across the UK to lead the way within the Hydrogen sector, building new partnerships with progressive decarbonisation in Japan, Canada and Australia and attracting inward investment and export opportunities.

(January 2021)