At the event in Antwerp, a representative from the Department of Energy outlined the hydrogen strategy in the UK and gave an update on the first deployment projects.

The ambitious hydrogen strategy of the UK

As Lisa Pearce -Head of Hydrogen Allocation Delivery and Negotiations at Department for Energy Security and Net Zero- explained, London revised its hydrogen strategy in December 2023. The ambitions are 1 GW in 2025, then 10 GW in 2030. These ambitions are higher than those set out by France as part of the revision of its national hydrogen strategy.

She went on to talk about the first round of subsidies (HAR 1: Hydrogen Allocation Round), involving 11 projects representing the equivalent of 125 MW. This investment amounts to £90 million from the Hydrogen Net Zero Fund, with a further £413 million to be raised privately, creating 760 jobs in the process. The projects, which will be signed in spring and are due to start in 2025, include EDF’s Tees Green Hydrogen offshore wind project.

The world’s first scale-up projects

According to the UK, these are the world’s first scale-up projects for hydrogen production. The eligibility criterion is economic viability. Future rounds are already planned: HAR 2 for 875 MW (with electrolysis, but also pyrolysis and plasmalysis from gas), HAR 3 and HAR 4 for 750 MW and HAR 5 for unspecified capacities, with the timetable stretching from 2025 to 2027.

London has also planned a number of projects involving mobility, the blending of hydrogen into gas infrastructure (up to 20%), and the decarbonisation of industry.

Do you want to learn more about the hydrogen strategy of the UK? Then our latest articles about the nation should interest you. You can access all of our UK-related articles here. 

Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Logan King