Letter: Advantage of hydrogen is it can do what electrification cannot
There has been much speculation as to whether the “hydrogen hype is fizzling out” (“Green energy sector seeks to divine demand for hydrogen”, Special Reports, FT.com, June 12; and “How the hydrogen hype fizzled out”, FT Big Read, Lex in depth, May 20).
Hydrogen will not be the silver bullet solution that solves all our net zero challenges. The energy transition will not, however, happen without hydrogen, which is an essential tool in the decarbonisation toolbox. Much of the debate is centred on electrification vs hydrogen. But this narrative is misguided. In fact, electrification and hydrogen complement each other, as hydrogen can do what electrification cannot. A binary approach will only hinder the progress of the entire industry.
In the UK hydrogen strategy published in 2021, the government identified hydrogen as essential for reaching net zero and has set an ambition of delivering 10GW of low-carbon hydrogen production by 2030. This is supported by the Climate Change Committee forecasts that between 20-30 per cent of final energy demand will be derived from hydrogen. This is too large a fraction to be dismissed.
Similarly, the UK hydrogen industry is poised to deliver significant economic impact. By our analysis, investment in hydrogen could result in 64,000 UK jobs and a hydrogen economy that could generate over £7bn in gross value added (GVA) annually by the end of the decade.
We’re at a critical juncture, with the potential to establish the UK as a global hydrogen hub and to reap the economic benefits available to us. As with all solutions, let’s focus first on areas where it will be most effective in delivering net zero, take a flexible, nondogmatic approach, and be led by evidence, not assertion.
Clare Jackson
CEO, Hydrogen UK
Birmingham, UK
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