Hydrogen will not play a major role in the UK’s efforts to reach net zero although it can grow to become “a big niche” fuel in particular sectors, MPs on the Commons Science and Technology Committee have said.
In a new report, the Committee argues that hydrogen will probably have a “specific but limited” role in decarbonising sectors, for example where electrification is not possible, and as a means of storing energy.
MPs urge the government to give the industry more clarity over how and when it will make decisions about the role of hydrogen in the UK economy.
While hydrogen is a potentially zero-carbon fuel source, it can be more carbon intensive than gas and coal if derived from fossil fuels rather than through electrolysis powered by a renewable energy source. Currently, 95 per cent of hydrogen produced worldwide is produced from fossil fuels by splitting natural gas into hydrogen and carbon dioxide and therefore has a high carbon footprint.
The report...