The UK has a significant opportunity for a hydrogen strategy to decarbonise transport, according to a new report from the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS).
‘Driving Change – How Hydrogen Can Fuel A Transport Revolution’ said investing in hydrogen as a fuel source is essential for Britain to meet its net zero target and clean up its air.
In doing so the UK could benefit from “significant economic gains” and help build a “world-leading green industry” in the future.
Transport is now the biggest contributor to emissions and a major cause of air pollution. The study said focus on electric cars needs to be complemented with action on heavier vehicles, including buses, trucks, trains, and ships, to which hydrogen is well-suited.
The study stated: “In fact, there are good reasons why the UK is especially well-positioned to capture the economic benefits of an expanded global hydrogen industry.
“For example, it has a mature renewable energy sector, which will be necessary to power the electrolysers to make green hydrogen, and vehicle manufacturers based in the UK are already producing hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).”
The report highlighted the UK is “blessed” with favourable conditions to make “truly sustainable” hydrogen.
“Few other countries can rely on sites like the North Sea, which is not only very windy but is also relatively shallow.
“This makes it easy to install the turbines which will eventually generate the electricity needed to electrolyse water into useful hydrogen.
“As Britain necessarily reduces its reliance on the oil fields around its coast, offshore wind farms can be substituted in to deliver streams of zero-carbon electrons to either directly power homes and industry, or be put to use to produce hydrogen molecules to be fed into other applications.”
The report said that by providing the conditions for a hydrogen industry to flourish in the UK, the country would be “bolstering its energy sovereignty”, too.
“Particularly from the perspective of fuelling transport, a portfolio of options – not simply relying entirely on batteries – could be especially wise. Home to 73% of global lithium cell manufacturing capacity, China dominates battery manufacturing, and is also a leading producer of the elements commonly needed to make them.”
The report contains several policy recommendations, including setting out a UK-wide hydrogen strategy before COP26 and establishing a cross-departmental working group, as well as deploying investment via the UK government’s clean energy funds to support development of an adequate hydrogen infrastructure.
Secretary of state for transport Grant Schapps said: “As we begin the road to recovery from Covid-19 and rebuild our economy and infrastructure I am clear we can’t just go back to how we were before.
“We have the opportunity to create a more prosperous, stronger and greener country and transport will be at the heart of that.
“Therefore, I welcome the work done by the CPS and others to come up with new and innovative ways to deliver on this government’s ambitious decarbonisation agenda.”