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It is great to see that Hydrogen UK have launched their 2024 manifesto designed to push the next government to prioritise hydrogen development.1 The initial focus of the manifesto is getting some initial low-carbon production projects over the line, developing infrastructure and providing regulatory clarity. However, it is also great to see explicit support for developing the smaller electrolytic hydrogen projects and capitalising on research in universities.
It is important that we get the hydrogen economy developed in a rapid but sustainable way if we are going to reach our net zero targets. In particular, Hydrogen provides a key mechanism for decarbonisation of heavy industries, which is a large priority here in the North West. However, a recent report by carbon tracker highlights that great care also has to be taken while developing this economy.2 Carbon tracker investigated the upstream emissions of blue hydrogen (hydrogen obtained from natural gas in combination with carbon capture), which forms the majority of the initial low carbon projects in the UK, and showed that emissions can significantly exceed targets depending on the source of natural gas. It it therefore imperative that a well balanced approach is taken.
I look forward to see how the next government responds to the manifesto and how the net zero plans develop over the next 5 years.
Footnotes
1 https://hydrogen-uk.org/publication/hydrogen-uk-manifesto/
2 https://carbontracker.org/reports/kind-of-blue/
The new government must prioritise hydrogen development to ensure we harness its full potential and lead the way in global clean energy innovation.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.