Recommendations & Conclusions
12 items
2
Conclusion
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
Hydrogen has several distinctive features as a low-carbon gaseous fuel and could contribute to the UK’s energy system, including through improving resilience and energy security. Whilst in some applications hydrogen is less efficient compared to alternative low-carbon technologies, the wider energy system benefits of deploying hydrogen must be acknowledged, and …
Government response. The government acknowledges that system level thinking has been a key element of its approach to developing hydrogen in the UK, and that the potential impacts on system resilience and energy security are reflected in the increased ambition brought forward …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
3
Conclusion
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
The Government has chosen at this stage to support the development of both green and blue hydrogen. We heard that the initial adoption of blue hydrogen will be cheaper than green hydrogen, and ready to use in certain niche industrial settings sooner. However, several analysts have argued that green hydrogen …
Government response. Government has been clear in the UK Hydrogen Strategy and subsequent publications that it considers support for multiple production routes the most appropriate approach while building the hydrogen economy.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
9
Recommendation
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
Hydrogen can undoubtedly help key UK industrial sectors decarbonise. There is a widespread recognition of the importance of regulatory reform and an effective business model in incentivising a switch to low-carbon hydrogen use. We welcome the Government’s use of industrial clusters to trial the use of hydrogen. The Government must …
Government response. DESNZ is monitoring and evaluating the processes and impacts of its policies in the low-carbon hydrogen space in industrial clusters and beyond to incorporate lessons learnt into future policy design, and has commissioned a study to capture feedback about the …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
13
Recommendation
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
Hydrogen has a modest but potentially critical role to play in decarbonising the rail network, where electrification is not suitable or cannot be delivered in time to contribute towards meeting Net Zero. Whilst trials and demonstration projects are underway in hydrogen trains, there is no clear plan to develop the …
Government response. DfT officials will continue to liaise with international colleagues to understand their approaches to hydrogen trains and the lessons they have learned from deploying them and will use learnings from international colleagues to shape any future hydrogen train trials supported …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
16
Recommendation
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
The Government should use its influence internationally, following its leadership of COP26 and involvement in Mission Innovation, to set standards and timelines for decisions on the role of alternative fuels and hydrogen within aviation and shipping. In these areas the Government should seek to lead the development of standards that …
Government response. The government acknowledges the important role of hydrogen and alternative fuels and states it is committed to supporting their development and deployment through international platforms such as the International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition and the Zero Emission Shipping Mission.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
17
Conclusion
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
Hydrogen could play a role in domestic heating, but the extent of its potential is still uncertain and looks likely to be limited rather than widespread. We are unconvinced its deployment will prove to be economically viable by the time the Government has said it will determine the role of …
Government response. Government is proposing to require that from 2026 all newly installed domestic-scale natural gas boilers be hydrogen-ready, and is awaiting a response to the consultation on boiler standards before publishing its updated thinking.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
18
Recommendation
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
Overall, whilst there are a variety of possible applications of hydrogen technology across every sector of the UK economy, we agree with the Government that on the basis of present knowledge and the technology available it seems that the role of hydrogen will be to decarbonise specific, limited areas where …
Government response. The government states that the UK Hydrogen Strategy sets out a holistic approach to growing the hydrogen economy, and that it continues to be guided by the principles set out in the strategy.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
19
Conclusion
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
Metering is an essential component of any use case for hydrogen in domestic settings. We have heard that the current generation of gas smart meters are designed to measure volume flows of natural gas which are much lower than hydrogen volume flows for the same energy delivery, so are unlikely …
Government response. The government acknowledges the need for meter accuracy, especially distinguishing between hydrogen blends and 100% hydrogen, and states that the OPSS and suppliers are working to ensure meter accuracy.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
21
Conclusion
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
An urgent project on metering domestic hydrogen use needs to be undertaken. This should include an assessment of: • whether and when the current generation of gas smart meters need to be (a) adapted, or (b) replaced; • what technology could and should be used in new meters to accommodate …
Government response. The government acknowledges that current smart meters could work on a 20-23% hydrogen blend, with ongoing assessment by the OPSS. They mention the Hy4Heat program and hydrogen heating trials that will inform strategic decisions in 2026.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
24
Conclusion
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
There appear to be opportunities and advantages in the UK accelerating its decarbonisation of the economy by focusing on hydrogen and becoming a leader in low- carbon hydrogen production, distribution, and deployment for multiple purposes. But, as discussed in this Report there are still uncertainties which entail the risk that …
Government response. The government states that the Sector Development Action Plan (SDAP) sets out actions to maximize the benefits to the UK from the development of the hydrogen economy, focusing on attracting investment, supporting supply chains, developing skills, and securing trade opportunities.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
25
Recommendation
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
The Government should identify its priorities for hydrogen in the economy and recognise the opportunity of hydrogen development in delivering Net Zero and developing a resilient energy system. In its response to this Report, the Government should set out what further work has been done and what more is planned …
Government response. The government states that hydrogen has a potential role in various sectors and that DESNZ is working to understand the capabilities and capacity of UK supply chains across the full value chain to maximize benefits to the UK.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
27
Conclusion
Fourth report - The role of hydrogen in…
Acknowledged
As with other low-carbon systems, there are costs associated with the development of infrastructure and the uptake of hydrogen use within every use case. The relatively higher prospective cost of low-carbon hydrogen will increase overall costs of, for example, manufacturing, transportation, or heating. There is a risk that because of …
Government response. The government acknowledged the risk of non-competitiveness due to the higher costs of low-carbon hydrogen and outlined measures such as the Hydrogen Production Business Model (HPBM), transport and storage infrastructure, and exploring the need for market intervention on hydrogen power.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology