"Bolder vision" needed in hydrogen discussions
Energy firm Xodus is encouraging UK companies, and Westminister, to be more ambitious with plans for Hydrogen - which they say would be a big boost for the North East.
A global energy firm has launched a new report, calling on the UK Government, and other companies, to get bolder with plans for Hydrogen.
The research from Xodus suggests the UK is ideally placed geographically, technically, financially and politically to be a global low carbon hub, spanning both green and blue hydrogen production and export.
With the North East, as a leader in the oil and gas sector, positioned well to be the same for hydrogen.
The report urges UK companies to adopt a bolder approach to hydrogen, to become global players and the leaders in Europe, gaining associated first-mover advantages on the back of an ambitious hydrogen development programme. With hydrogen infrastructure being classified as a ‘low-regret investment’, the UK should become the first country to blend significant amounts of hydrogen into a national gas network.
Furthermore, the UK government is encouraged to resist the temptation to deliver only green hydrogen to the continent as this is not in the country’s best interest. Rather than catering to a ‘green only’ ideal, the report advocates for blue or teal UK low carbon hydrogen, which is considered a low carbon and commercially accessible technology.
Kent Massey, principal advisor at Xodus, said: “Low carbon hydrogen has many advantages for the UK. Our abundant wind energy, extensive oil and gas infrastructure and proximity to major industrial centres mean that we should make the best use of this opportunity before it passes us by.
"Even given the scepticism surrounding hydrogen, we are in a place where to not lead in hydrogen would be a wasted opportunity."
Innovation Manager for Xodus Caragh McWhirr told Northsound:
"Blue hydrogen in particular is very suited to areas where you have a supply of natural gas, pipelines and somewhere close to C02 storage facilities.
"So the North East, is a good location already for that.
"You add to that a lot of knowledge in engineering in the energy industries, and there's an opportunity to add to that."
And McWhirr added that there's opportunities in the region to produce 'green hydrogen' via wind capture, she said:
"If we can capture some of that, that's extra jobs, it provides that transition, at least partially, from oil and gas to low carbon energy."