Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Acknowledged
Hydrogen has several distinctive features as a low-carbon gaseous fuel and could contribute to the...
Conclusion
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 we welcome the Government’s whole systems approach in its Hydrogen Strategy. Consideration should be given to broader benefits, such as system resilience and national security, as well as price competitiveness as a fuel, in implementing the Hydrogen Strategy. (Paragraph 31) Hydrogen production
Government Response Summary
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 under the British Energy Security Strategy.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
System level thinking has been a key element of the government’s approach to developing hydrogen in the UK. Low carbon hydrogen is just one among the many decarbonisation technologies that government expects to contribute to meeting net zero. As such the Net Zero Strategy points to the integrated policy approach being taken to deliver emission reductions in line with the UK’s Carbon Budgets. The potential impacts on system resilience and energy security, particularly in terms of low carbon hydrogen production, are reflected in the increased ambition brought forward under the British Energy Security Strategy (BESS) – i.e. for up to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, with at least half of this electrolytic hydrogen – as well as the direction of travel indicated in the UK Hydrogen Strategy and its subsequent updates. We are working across government energy policy development to ensure that hydrogen’s potential to realise wider system benefits is realised, such as providing system flexibility and resilience to our power system and enabling more efficient utilisation of our growing renewable electricity production capacity.