Publication Of 'Hydrogen & Fuel Cells: Opportunities For Growth - A Roadmap For The UK'

This new Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Roadmap provides an overarching industrial strategy for hydrogen and fuel cells to play a greater role in the UK’s energy mix. This report ‘Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: Opportunities for Growth: A Roadmap for the UK’ finds that the UK is already among world leaders in developing hydrogen energy and fuel cells. The Roadmap provides an overarching industrial strategy for hydrogen and fuel cells to play a greater role in the UK’s energy mix.

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: Opportunities for Growth: A Roadmap for the UK is an independent report commissioned by Innovate UK, The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Transport Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Government, The UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (UKHFCA), the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (SHFCA) and the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN). The report was carried out by E4tech Ltd. and Element Energy and is now available for download.

Hydrogen and fuel cells can deliver secure, affordable and sustainable energy and boost UK economic growth.

Hydrogen could bring significant benefits to energy systems, to heat homes and businesses, to power vehicles, to balance intermittent renewables, and widespread adoption of efficient fuel cells could deliver a range of policy objectives. The principle benefits outlined in the report are:

• Environmental benefits –Adoption of hydrogen and fuel cells in the various applications described in the report will improve air quality today, and following the actions described in the roadmap could reduce UK CO2 emissions by tens of millions of tonnes per year before 2050. 
• Economic benefits - For the level of activity anticipated in this report by 2025, tens of millions of pounds and 1,000s of jobs would be created directly in the supply chain. These would then underpin future growth in key UK manufacturing sectors such as automotive and energy-intensive industries as the world adopts tighter environmental targets.

Accompanying the UK national roadmap is an appendix describing the strategies for success in 11 key market segments that the UK has the potential to show leadership and derive economic, energy and environmental benefits in the period to 2025 and beyond.

The Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and Transport Scotland worked closely together on areas of mutual interest for the benefit of the people of Scotland. This acknowledged the synergies that hydrogen and fuel cell technologies have for all our policy interests, as well as the wider links to activity in the rest of the UK. A ‘Team Scotland’ approach was used by the Scottish funding partners in Innovate UK’s hydrogen and fuel cell roadmapping project, in consultation with the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association.

Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Keith Brown said: “The Scottish Government and its agencies Transport Scotland and Scottish Enterprise welcome the publication of this roadmap, which will help inform our strategy for making the most of Scotland’s abundant energy resources. Scotland is already home to a number of projects that demonstrate how hydrogen and fuel cells can support an integrated approach to low carbon heat, power and transport. We look forward to working more closely with those who contributed to the roadmap as we continue to transition to a low carbon economy.”

Ian Meikle, Innovate UK’s Director for Infrastructure Systems said: “The Roadmap describes clearly how public, private, academic and other stakeholders can work together to maximize the growth of the UKhydrogen and fuel cell industry to maximize growth and deliver secure, affordable and sustainable energy. Not only are there clear environmental benefits, but following the actions described in the roadmap can drive economic growth, job creation, and competitiveness. The Roadmapping exercise itself provides an excellent illustration of how Innovate UK is able to join up activity across Government, industry and the research community, to accelerate economic growth. The project, led by the Infrastructure Systems team at Innovate UK, involved extensive literature review, deep and broad technical analysis, and stakeholder consultation, involving more than 200 individuals representing 150 organisations. We look forward to continuing to support our Steering Board partners and wider stakeholders to maximize the benefits of the Roadmap.”

The organisations that led the development of this roadmap are: Innovate UK, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS, formerly known as Department of Energy and Climate Change, DECC), Transport Scotland, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (SHFCA), the UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (UKHFCA), and the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN). Following competitive tender, together they commissioned E4tech and Element Energy to map the opportunity in detail, aiming to drive sustainable economic growth in the UK hydrogen and fuel cell industry from now to 2025 and beyond.

Accompanying the UK national HFC Roadmap is an Appendix, describing the strategies for success in 11 key market segments that the UK has the potential to show leadership. Aspects of the roadmap will be presented at forthcoming conferences and events – look out for #UKHFCRoadmap to find an event near you.