Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 26
26
Accepted
Whilst much of the technology needed for hydrogen exists and can be scaled up with...
Conclusion
Whilst much of the technology needed for hydrogen exists and can be scaled up with sufficient policy incentives, innovation in low-carbon hydrogen technology remains important. This includes both the further development of techniques and technologies that are already proven, and the further development, and bringing- to-market, of projects that are less well-known. Funding bodies, like UKRI, having identified the need for such research, should reflect this in their funding programmes. In many cases, such research is more efficiently funded through our grants system than indirectly through subsidised deployment. (Paragraph 191) 76 The role of hydrogen in achieving Net Zero
Government Response Summary
Government agrees that innovation in low-carbon hydrogen technology is critical and continues to make significant investments in hydrogen research and innovation through a number of programmes, run by government departments and bodies like UKRI.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Government agrees that innovation in low-carbon hydrogen technology is critical. Hydrogen is currently much more costly to produce and use than existing fossil fuels. Investment in discovery research, as well as development and scaling-up of prototypes of early-stage technologies, will increase the chances that new technologies will be commercially available in the future to reduce the cost and increase the convenience of using hydrogen. The government continues to make significant investments in hydrogen research and innovation through a number of programmes, run by government departments and bodies like UKRI. These programmes include grants and subsidised deployment, both mechanisms have a vital role in developing proven technologies and those that are more nascent. The Net Zero Research and Innovation Framework, published October 2021, represents a first statement of the UK’s net zero research and innovation priority areas over the next 5–10 years including hydrogen. The £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) is a cross-cutting initiative led by DESNZ which funds projects over 2021–2025 to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative, low-carbon technologies, systems and business models (https://www.gov.uk/government/ collections/net-zero-innovation-portfolio). It builds directly on the government’s previous investments (£505m) in the Energy Innovation Portfolio (EIP). Hydrogen is one of ten themes within NZIP. Prioritisation within NZIP was supported by, among other inputs, data from the 2019 Energy Innovation Needs Assessments, which collated evidence and analysis on the role of different technologies in the UK’s future energy system. NZIP support is generally targeted at technology readiness levels (TRL) 4–7 (TRL 4: Laboratory Testing/Validation of Components/Process; TRL 7 Integrated Pilot System