Select committee: Science and Technology Committee
Conclusion 8
1st report - Battery strategy goes flat: Net-zero target at risk
Published 27 Jul 2021
Paragraph 63
Science and Technology Committee Role of batteries and fuel cells in achieving Net Zero All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The UK could make better use of fuel cells in conjunction with electrolysers in a range of stationary applications. Trials of local and community-scale systems could quickly be replicated, to increase the use of excess renewable electricity to produce hydrogen for transport, heating and power. The use of fuel cells in buildings connected to the gas grid would have merit if those buildings were supplied with ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen.
From: Science and Technology Committee, 1st report - Battery strategy goes flat: Net-zero target at risk, paragraph 63, 27 July 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 27 September 2021 (deadline 27 September 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government sets out support already in place or planned across batteries, charging, freight and hydrogen, and ties future battery research funding to the Spending Review 2021.
- On supply chains, it states it is "committed to supporting the automotive sector", with £500m of the Automotive Transformation Fund available over four years as the first part of "up to £1 billion".
- On charging, it says it "recognise[s] the need to accelerate" the public network, will provide £1.3 billion over four years, and will publish an EV Infrastructure Strategy "later this year".
- On HGVs, the consultation closed on 3 September and it is analysing responses; it "intend[s] to announce phase out dates as soon as possible".
- On fuel cells, it says technology development is "at an earlier stage than in batteries" and that intervention to date has focused on supporting earlier development.