£500 million for hydrogen infrastructure

The government has confirmed a £500 million boost for hydrogen infrastructure, as part of the government’s plan to make the UK a clean energy superpower.

The funding will go towards creating the UK’s first regional hydrogen transport and storage network, which will connect hydrogen producers with end users, and include power stations and industry.

This major infrastructure boost will also create thousands of skilled jobs in industrial regions such as Merseyside, Teesside and the Humber, as well as in the supply chain.

This announcement follows confirmation in the Spending Review that the government will create thousands of clean energy jobs across the country, including 10,000 jobs at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Other initiatives that will boost employment include a new fusion reactor to be built on an old power station site in Nottinghamshire and the Acorn project in Scotland.

Hydrogen will have a leading role to play in decarbonising industrial sectors including refineries and heavy transport, as well as providing long-term energy storage that can be deployed during peak demand periods.

Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: “We are investing over half a billion pounds in our industrial heartland to deliver jobs and energy security for Britain. By building hydrogen networks, we are securing homegrown energy that will power British industry for generations to come.

“This will bring in the investment needed across the country to delve our Plan for Change by unlocking clean energy and growth in our local economies.”