Environmental Audit Committee to investigate potential role of hydrogen in a low carbon economy
Thu 07 May 2020
View all news
The cross-party Environmental Audit Committee is to investigate whether hydrogen could have a part to play in a low carbon energy future for the UK. The Committee is inviting written submissions to inform its deliberations.
Continuing its inquiry into Technological Innovation and Climate Change, the EAC will explore hydrogen production, distribution and potential applications.
The EAC says that Government has invested £160 million into hydrogen projects and that the Committee will be considering the opportunities to maximise continued development and effectiveness, and the challenges faced by industry in delivering greater capacity.
The Committee's statement notes that hydrogen could have a role to play in transportation including fuelling HGVs.
However, it says, for low carbon hydrogen to be produced to support these uses, it must be more affordable for consumers and there are challenges regarding the supply of renewable energy sources to support electrolysis.
The Committee is inviting written submissions to inform its session on hydrogen. Submissions should be submitted through the Committee’s web portal.
Note: Alongside its 2020/21 work programme, the LowCVP has announced the formation of a new project to investigate the role of hydrogen in road transport (link). The project brief notes that there is increasing interest in the role of hydrogen as an energy vector with potential for contributing to the decarbonisation of road transport and, in particular, heavy-duty vehicles.
The LowCVP will convene a multi-stakeholder hydrogen interest group which will work to identify the potential for the wider introduction of hydrogen into road transport.
Related Links
< Back to news list