06. Dezember 2024
Last week, Ready4H2 Director Barbara Jinks attended the Hydrogen Industry Leaders (HIL) Conference in Glasgow. The event highlighted the Scottish Government and industry’s ambitious plans to utilise the vast renewable energy resources around the UK, its existing infrastructure and skilled people to develop hydrogen as part of its energy transition.
Wind energy around the UK is foreseen to not only to produce renewable electricity, but also produce significant quantities of green hydrogen. Stuart McKay, Head of Hydrogen Policy, shared the Government’s vision in its revised Hydrogen Action Plan to become a centre of international excellence in producing reliable, competitive and sustainable hydrogen that will help decarbonise the UK economy as well as be exported by pipeline to NW Europe via Corridor C of the European Hydrogen Backbone. It targets 5 GW renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045. Hydrogen is envisaged to fuel industry, heavy transport and building heating, and the distribution grid is recognised as an essential part of the hydrogen supply chain.
The energy transition is particularly relevant in Aberdeen and its surroundings, the hub of the oil&gas industry in the UK, which is transitioning its skilled workforce, infrastructure and services to the renewables sector. In response to existing lengthy planning & permitting processes, the Scottish Government has established the Hydrogen Planning Hub that aims to speed up the approval processes for hydrogen projects.
The benefits of harnessing local renewable energy using hydrogen is being adopted by over 60 small and large hydrogen projects in Scotland, including whisky distilleries who aim to continue their long tradition of using local resources and helping smaller communities thrive.
