A recently created organization has implored the national government to ensure the United Kingdom is leading in developing innovative green hydrogen technologies.
Today, organizations from the emergent green hydrogen industry have united to form the Green Hydrogen Alliance (GHA). This autonomous trade organization seeks to ensure the UK takes a leading role in creating and implementing hydrogen derived from renewable energy.
The GHA consists of various companies along the hydrogen supply chain, such as Airbus, Air Products, Associated British Ports, Tata Steel, and World Kinect. Additionally, the advisory board features Cranfield University and the Thames Estuary Growth Board.
The GHA reported that it had been created to bring attention to the "substantial chances" that exist when green hydrogen is employed by some of the United Kingdom's top industries, including aviation, heavy industry, road haulage, and power generation. It added that it aims to investigate and support approaches to hasten the fiscal viability of green hydrogen technologies.
The recently established body embraced the government's goal to create 5GW of electrolytic or green hydrogen production capacity by 2030. Still, it cautioned, "We must take more aggressive action on policy to unlock the advantages that green hydrogen will offer."
The government has allocated money for various green hydrogen pilot projects. It is also creating 'business models that would give long-term contracts to low-carbon hydrogen producers - an important move for the industry to grow. Nevertheless, Ministers have yet to decide on a policy framework, which could result in hydrogen developers seeking subsidies in the US and EU - subsidies that are already in place.
The intricacy of the situation is further accentuated by a growing argument concerning how hydrogen should be employed in the net zero transition and whether green hydrogen, which originates from water using electrolysis driven by renewable energy, or blue hydrogen, created from fossil gas combined with carbon capture and storage, will emerge as the top choice in the market.
Supporters of each method believe that their technology will likely be more cost-efficient and expandable in the foreseeable future. However, detractors of blue hydrogen allege that it is being taken advantage of by the fossil fuel sector to establish sustained demand and validate investment in fossil fuel extraction.
The GHA has cautioned the UK government to act swiftly to create a policy system that could promote investment in new green hydrogen production or face being left behind by overseas adversaries such as Germany and the Netherlands, who have recently revealed plans "to promote a more rapid advancement towards their green hydrogen technologies."
The new trade association will highlight the significant part green hydrogen can take in the net zero transition. This is due to its ability to reduce emissions in heavy industry and transport and provide energy storage and grid balancing services using hydrogen production plants and hydrogen-powered power plants.
The group referred to a recent study that looked into the possibility of zero-emissions air travel and concluded that if the required aircraft production capacity, green fuel production capacity, and infrastructure were available, the entire UK regional aviation fleet could be substituted with carbon aircraft by 2040.
The GHA mentioned that it would investigate the commercial potential of green hydrogen for a range of UK industries and assess the economic benefits it could bring to particular regions of the country.
The organization declared that it would conduct a new evaluation to determine the obstructions that prevent the UK from becoming a "real international leader" in a technology that can help meet carbon reduction goals, heighten energy security, and establish thousands of new renewable energy employment opportunities domestically.
The recently formed partnership emphasized its non-partisan status. It plans to collaborate with the government, all political organizations, civil servants, and commercial entities "to help them become more knowledgeable about the developing hydrogen sector's prospects."
GHA commented that green hydrogen could be a reliable renewable energy source and aid the UK in its goals of reducing carbon emissions. They stated they are eager to collaborate with decision-makers to allow the country to reach its potential in this burgeoning technology.