Yesterday (27 February), the UK government unveiled £21 million in funding to support seven hydrogen projects with a potential capacity of 800MW.
Of the seven projects, four will be dedicated to producing low-carbon hydrogen to create green fuels that will be supplied to various businesses to decarbonise their operations, such as the pharmaceutical and automotive industries.
The remaining projects will be centred around constructing green hydrogen sites in Aberdeen, Scotland, the Tees Valley and Suffolk.
These include Suffolk Hydrogen, run by Hydrab Power, which will make green hydrogen for low-carbon service vehicles at the Sizewell C nuclear site.
Tees Valley Hydrogen run by Exolum aims to build a new hydrogen refuelling station to help supply the local transport sector, something the government funding will support.
The final project to receive support is the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub, run by BP and Aberdeen City Council, which will provide cleaner fuel for the local fleet of electric buses.
Claire Coutinho, the secretary of state for Energy Security, said: “We are cementing the UK’s place as a world leader in hydrogen. The new projects we’re funding across the country will boost our supply of clean homegrown energy for use in buses, trains and local businesses.
“By backing the UK hydrogen industry, we can support over 12,000 jobs and up to £11 billion in private investment by 2030.”
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has been increasing its investigation into developing hydrogen for energy production through a number of international partnerships.
These include the US Strategic Partnership on Fusion Energy, as well as partnerships with South Korea, and Germany signed in November 2023, followed by a funding programme for UK-Australia hydrogen projects announced in December 2023.
Commenting on the announcement, Clare Jackson, CEO of Hydrogen UK, stated that the seven hydrogen projects “underscore the transformative power and versatility of hydrogen as a bedrock for secure, clean energy solutions” and that the announcement “fortifies the UK’s burgeoning hydrogen economy, accelerating us towards meeting our ambitious production”.
Hydrogen’s role in the Green Industries Growth Accelerator
Alongside the £21 million funding announcement, the government has also launched a call for evidence on hydrogen and carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) elements of the Green Industries Growth Accelerator.
The Green Industries Growth Accelerator, which was announced during the 2023 Autumn Statement, is set to support domestic manufacturing in sectors including offshore wind, electric vehicles (EVs), batteries and more.
At the time, the government said this would “enable the UK to seize growth opportunities through the transition to net zero, building on our world-leading decarbonisation track record and strong deployment offer”.
Current±’s publisher Solar Media will host the Green Hydrogen Summit UK and Ireland on 2-3 July 2024 in London. The event will explore green hydrogen’s role in the UK’s decarbonisation journey, production of the clean energy carrier and the role of PPAs in financing green hydrogen projects. For more information, go to the website.