• HyDEX has released a comprehensive report with strategic recommendations to accelerate hydrogen adoption across the UK economy.
• The report underscores hydrogen’s critical role in decarbonising aviation, industry, road transport, and construction, quarrying, and farming.
• With the new Government’s commitment to net-zero goals, the HyDEX report provides a clear roadmap for overcoming barriers and seizing hydrogen opportunities, ensuring the UK remains competitive in the global hydrogen race.

 The HyDEX programme funded by Research England and part of the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA), has  released a comprehensive report outlining strategic recommendations to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen across the UK economy.

The report, titled “Accelerating Hydrogen Adoption Across the Economy”, highlights the critical role hydrogen can play in decarbonising aviation, industry, road transport, and construction, quarrying and farming, and is a culmination of the insights collected during HyDEX’s latest roundtable series.

Following the election, the Government has demonstrated a strong commitment to achieving net-zero goals. However, with a recent wave of financial investment decisions being made on European hydrogen projects, the UK risks losing its competitive edge in the global hydrogen race.

This challenge is not insurmountable. By convening a variety of cross-sector organisations across the hydrogen supply chain, HyDEX has developed a set of cross-sector and sector specific recommendations to address this issue.

Professor Martin Freer, Academic Director of the HyDEX programme, said: “Hydrogen has the potential to revolutionise our energy landscape, but it requires a concerted effort from both the government and industry to realize this potential.

“The HyDEX report provides a clear roadmap for overcoming the current barriers and seizing the opportunities that hydrogen presents. By aligning policies, investing in skills, and providing market certainty, we can ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of the global hydrogen race.”

Brett Ryan, Head of Policy at Hydrogen UK says: “The UK has a real opportunity to be a global leader in hydrogen while creating jobs and building robust supply chains. Hydrogen UK welcomes this cross-sector analysis by HyDEX that provides important recommendations to realise our ambition.”

Throughout the series, stakeholders consistently emphasised the opportunities presented by the new government for the hydrogen sector. However, it is crucial for this new government to articulate a clear vision for the industry, recognising the importance of market certainty and the potential role of the government as a customer.

Current cost incentives are proving to be insufficient, and there are significant challenges related to the security of hydrogen supply, where government intervention could provide the necessary market confidence. An industrial strategy specifically tailored to the sector is essential, along with better integration of policymaking and collaboration between government departments and the industry.

The HyDEX report highlights the critical need for better alignment between government departments, particularly the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Transport (DfT). The new government has a unique opportunity to synchronize policies and standards across these departments to prevent delays and stagnation in hydrogen projects that span multiple sectors, such as production, storage, transportation, and usage. Additionally, a public communication campaign is essential to improve understanding of hydrogen’s benefits and costs, targeting both corporate customers and the general public. This initiative will help build confidence in the industry, drive demand, and address the ‘chicken-and-egg’ issue hindering hydrogen adoption.

Download the report here: https://hydex.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Accelerating-Hydrogen-Adoption-Across-the-Economy.pdf