RenewableUK is urging the UK Government to support the rapid development of green hydrogen, generated using renewable electricity, as a cheap energy source for the future.
In a new report “Renewable Hydrogen – Seizing the UK Opportunity” it says the renewables sector is confident of repeating the success of the UK’s offshore wind industry by driving down the cost of green hydrogen over the course of this decade.
This technology can also play a key role in the UK’s long-term green economic recovery, the report claims.
It would create significant new economic opportunities for the UK, particularly in coastal communities and industrial cities which need levelling-up most.
The report highlights the fact that the UK already has a head start in the global race to commercialise green hydrogen, with major trials underway such as the Gigastack project in the Humber.
This is set to use renewable energy from offshore wind farms to make clean hydrogen by a process known as electrolysis – splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen.
World-leading manufacturers of electrolysers such as ITM Power and Siemens are already based in the UK.
To ensure the UK’s R&D and manufacturing strength in green hydrogen, RenewableUK is calling for the Government to publish a hydrogen strategy, including a roadmap to 2050.
This should set out how renewable hydrogen will grow from a niche technology to the central pillar of the UK’s energy system, it says.
Also included should be a plan to deliver the first gigawatt of electrolyser capacity in the UK, identifying potential projects and funding to drive innovation and investment.
RenewableUK also recommends setting a target of 5GW of renewable electrolyser capacity by 2030 and 10GW by 2035, along with a cost reduction target of £2 per kilogram of green hydrogen by 2030, down from £8/kg today.
This would mean that by 2030, green hydrogen would be cost-competitive, or could even cost less to produce than blue hydrogen which is made from fossil fuel (methane) with carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Clean hydrogen would also help us to reach net zero faster, as current CCS technology fails to capture up to a fifth of all carbon emissions, RenewableUK said.
RenewableUK’s director of future electricity systems Barnaby Wharton said: “Renewable hydrogen is the next big global industry in the decades ahead.
“The UK is well placed to lead this new industry, with plentiful renewable resources and world leading hydrogen companies.
“We can drive down costs fast, replicating our spectacular success in offshore wind cost reduction, offering consumers cheaper energy.
“We can’t let this opportunity slip through our fingers if the UK wants to stay at the cutting edge of innovation in renewable energy, with all the economic benefits that will bring.
“We’re urging Government to come on board with us by setting out a strategy to secure a multi-billion-pound prize which will create tens of thousands of jobs around the country, especially in areas which need levelling up, as a key part of the UK’s green economic recovery.”