The trade association will be holding a ‘Cheap, Clean & Green’ event at the conference in Birmingham, which will see panellists unveil the ‘Hydrogen Accelerator’ recommendations.
Panellists are set to include:
Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley
Clare Jackson, CEO of Hydrogen UK
Angela Needle, Strategy Director at Cadent Gas
NUS Ghani, Minister of State for the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
David Blackman, Policy Correspondent at Utility Week
Alex Simakov, Senior Fellow & Environment Unit at Policy Exchange
Following on from a similar event at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on September 27, H2 View understands the panellists will explore the impact of the energy crisis on the UK’s pathway to achieving Net Zero.
Read more: Hydrogen UK to discuss hydrogen’s role in Britain’s energy future at Labour Party conference
Commenting ahead of the Conservative party event, Clare Jackson, CEO of Hydrogen UK, said, “In our role as the UK’s largest hydrogen trade body, we have been working with our members to develop a set of actions and recommendations for Government to turbo charge progress in hydrogen.
“These Hydrogen Accelerators provide detailed steps that industry and Government must take together to accelerate hydrogen’s journey in the UK as we enter this next phase. Swift action in these areas will secure the UK’s place as a global leader, create new jobs and economic prosperity and ensure that we deliver Net Zero cost-effectively.”
The most recent Labour Party conference saw leader of the opposite, Sir Kier Starmer announced intentions to set up a state-owned renewable energy company, Great British Energy, in the party’s first year of governance if it were to win the next General Election.
Ed Milliband, Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero, said, “The role of GB Energy is to invest in things like hydrogen, floating offshore wind, and other technologies to build our industry here.”
Read more: Will Labour’s Great British Energy Company plans carry weight for hydrogen?
A new PM – a new shade of support for UK hydrogen?
As the week draws to a close, a new chapter for the UK has begun. With Liz Truss having won the Conservative leadership election, ahead of Rishi Sunak, she has now taken residence in 10 Downing Street as Prime Minister. With a fresh cabinet around her, Truss is faced with the monumental challenge of surging energy prices, which appear set to define her premiership.
Despite hydrogen’s potential to secure energy supply being recognised by many, the industry’s nascency means it is unlikely to play a short-term role in the UK’s attempt to combat surging costs and security fears. However, Truss’ first winter in office could be a key indicator as to what the future holds for the industry.
Under the current UK hydrogen strategy, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) predicts that by 2050, hydrogen could deliver up to a third of the country’s final energy consumption[1]. Additionally, with many funding and projects already being well in motion in the UK, it would see unlikely that this work would be undone in the short-term. Truss faces a short stint in office, with a General Election set for January 2025, and the opposition party, Labour, not opposing plans for hydrogen in the UK, it could be assumed current developments are safe.
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