According to the Westwood analysis, blue hydrogen projects due to be online by 2030 will account for over 16GW of total announced hydrogen capacity in the UK and Norway, which it says is equivalent to approximately 90% of the hydrogen projects total in the same region, 13GW of which are in the UK alone.

H2 View understands that further analysis has shown that although there are four times the number of green hydrogen projects than blue, projected hydrogen capacity will largely be driven by blue, which Westwood believes will be a catalyst in the development of hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS) clusters.

In April this year (2022), the UK Government released new plans to raise domestic low-carbon hydrogen production from 5GW to 10GW by 2030, with half set to be from green hydrogen.

Read more: UK Government unveils new energy security strategy doubling low-carbon hydrogen production to 10GW by 2030

David Linden, Head of Energy Transition at Westwood, said, “Although considerable offshore wind projects are developing in Northwest Europe, hydrogen projects are emerging at an unrivalled pace. The scale of blue hydrogen developments makes them a necessity to ensure 2030 regional targets are met – in fact, the current pipeline of announced capacity for UK projects would exceed targets if all achieved their planned start-up dates.

“This rate of change is representative of what we can expect as the energy transition gathers momentum. We are seeing increasing numbers of energy stakeholders diversifying their portfolios – and we are moving in-step. In doing so, we are able to support our clients to focus on what matters and better understand the growth of emerging energy sources, as well as the developing convergence of existing oil and gas and new energies for improved decision making.”

In parallel with the analysis announcement Westwood has today (September 14) launched its intelligence solution for energy transition stakeholders, Atlas New Energies, which it claims will allow users to access a database of over 250 new energies projects in the UK and Norway.

Commenting on the new market intelligence solutions, Emma Cruickshank, Head of Research for Northwest Europe at Westwood, said, “This new solution is a natural next step to our existing Atlas solution and is very-much driven by client demand and energy landscape trends. For those energy players looking to enter the new energies space, some of the biggest opportunities, can be found in Northwest Europe.

“Deciding on what role to play will be crucial for those looking to maximise their investment in this sector – and we are committed to supporting with the strategic, technical, and commercial questions that will inform the direction of the industry for years to come.”