New committee launched to help UK Government avoid hydrogen policy pitfalls.
[Edie] The Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) former vice chair Baroness Brown is among the members of a new ‘Hydrogen Policy Commission’, which will advise policymakers as the green and blue hydrogen sectors scale up in the UK.Senior representatives from the Conservative Party, Labour Party and Liberal Democrats will join Baroness Brown as Commission members, as well as experts in hydrogen from the UK’s private sector and senior academics.
The Commission will, in the first instance, conduct an assessment of the UK Government’s Hydrogen Strategy, with a report due out later this year. It has planned an eight-month engagement programme with representatives from industry and academia, as well as senior officials from national and local government
The Hydrogen Strategy was published last August and builds on the commitment made in the Ten-Point Plan for the UK to host 5GW of “low-carbon” hydrogen generation capacity by 2030.
In a statement, the Commission said it is concerned that the Strategy is not currently ambitious enough – or clear enough on support to meet long-term goals – to attract private investment.
Earlier this month, trade body the Energy Networks Association (ENA) recommended that the Government targets 10GW of low-carbon hydrogen generation by 2030 and provides extra funding to deliver this target. Thanks for staying up to date with Hydrogen Central.
Other concerns that have been voiced about the Strategy include its focus on blue hydrogen, made using natural gas co-located with carbon capture technology; and whether the Government is prioritising the right end-user sectors of hydrogen to maximise cost and carbon savings.
The Commission will assess these concerns as well as identifying a pathway for the UK Government to become a global leader in the export of hydrogen and related technologies.
Baroness Brown has stated that, at present, the UK risks “repeating the same mistakes” made with wind turbines and battery technologies, which have allowed nations including China to pull ahead in the global technology race.
Baroness Brown.
Hydrogen is a real opportunity for the UK, with a key role to play in the resilient zero-carbon energy system we need to meet the challenges of the changing climate and of global politics.
“The UK missed the boat on battery and wind technology, we can’t afford to miss the boat on hydrogen”.
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New committee launched to help UK Government avoid hydrogen policy pitfalls, January 31, 2022
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