Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Deferred
Paragraph: 94
Passenger battery electric vehicles for road transport have established a seemingly unassailable lead over other...
Conclusion
Passenger battery electric vehicles for road transport have established a seemingly unassailable lead over other green alternatives, meaning that it looks likely that hydrogen will play in the near future, at most, a small part in decarbonising passenger cars.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the need for clarity but states it's too early to be prescriptive, preferring to gain insights from pathfinder projects throughout the 2020s before making firm decisions on the role of hydrogen.
Paragraph Reference:
94
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Government recognises the need to provide greater clarity, where possible, on the role of hydrogen in the future UK energy system. In addition to the Committee’s recommendation, there are similar proposals in the Net Zero Review (Jan 2022). The Net Zero Review calls for the government to develop an ambitious 10-year roadmap for the scaling up of hydrogen production and confirm the long-term funding envelope available for hydrogen. In 2023, the hydrogen economy is at an early stage of development. It would be challenging and risky to be overly prescriptive of hydrogen’s overall place in the UK’s decarbonisation plan, ahead of gaining insights from pathfinder projects throughout the 2020s. This is why the government is supporting early production, distribution, and use of low carbon hydrogen in the UK, and early anchor projects, which will be critical for generating more insights on the cost, benefits and impacts of using hydrogen as well as deployment of alternative decarbonisation options.