Business Minister Ivan McKee signed the MoU on behalf of the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (SHFCA) with the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association of Singapore (HFCAS).

Under the MoU, both organisations will help stimulate joint hydrogen and fuel cell technology commercial projects in Scotland and Singapore and commit to identifying technology barriers to the production, distribution and storage use of hydrogen and share best practice regarding hydrogen and fuel cell codes and regulations.

McKee said, “The signing of this MoU between HFCAS and SHFCA is an important milestone as we continue to strive towards reaching our Net Zero commitments.”

Jan Robertson, Director of Global Trade at Scottish Development International (SDI), added, “With Singapore recently committing to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050, there is scope for Scottish expertise in hydrogen technologies to be utilised here.”

Last year, the Government of Singapore launched its National Hydrogen Strategy, saying low-carbon hydrogen could meet half of the country’s power needs by 2050.

Read more: Singapore launches National Hydrogen Strategy

The SHFCA has more than 180 members from across industry, academia and the public sector, reflecting the increasing role for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to enable the deployment of renewables and low carbon technologies in the Net Zero energy system.

Scotland recently unveiled its Hydrogen Action Plan, laying out the ambition to boast a low-carbon hydrogen production capacity of 5GW by 2030 and 5GW by 2045.

The Scottish Government has committed £100m in funding for renewable hydrogen projects, through the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme and the Green Hydrogen Fund.

Read more: Scotland unveils Hydrogen Action Plan with 25GW aspirations by 2045

Since HFCAS formation in 2019, it has promoted the use of hydrogen and fuel cells to help in Singapore’s decarbonisation efforts and move towards a greener energy mix for power generation, mobility and industrial applications.

Noel Chin, President of HFCAS, said, “We believe that this will open up doorways for Singapore enterprises to explore pathways in working with Scottish companies in the hydrogen ecosystem and vice versa.

“It would also forge closer ties and allow for exchange of knowledge between Singapore and Scotland, where both HFCAS and SHFCA can work together in creating opportunities for our members to come together and discuss about potential partnerships and projects.”