Sustainable Hydrogen Economy
Sustainable Hydrogen Economy
Positioning the UK to lead the world in the adoption of Hydrogen
Sustainable Hydrogen Economy aims to support the economic regeneration of the North by establishing the region as a testbed for sustainable hydrogen use by industry; including green transport, industrial decarbonisation, and heating of residential and commercial buildings. It will position the Northern Powerhouse as a global leader in the generation, storage, and usage of green hydrogen.
How will we achieve net zero for the North?
With the research expertise of the N8 and its wider collaborative partners we can explore and identify opportunities to maximise the use of green energy to support hydrogen production, storage and utilisation when excess production of green energy can support the process.
Maximising economic growth opportunities, environmental benefits and knowledge exchange, we will look to prioritise and accelerate projects that can find novel uses for hydrogen in the local, regional and national context – delivering hydrogen solutions faster than anticipated, in areas where hydrogen has not been prioritised in the past.
Sustainable Hydrogen Economy aims to deliver the following outcomes for the North:
- Drive down the costs of sustainable hydrogen production, storage, distribution and use (both operational and capital) through a focussed research and innovation programme linked to a comprehensive range of N8+ demonstration facilities and integrated skills programme.
- Investigate and address the transition to net-zero by incorporating an integrated energy systems approach that can be internationally translatable.
- Grow consumer, government and regulatory confidence in hydrogen, supporting an uplift in use and best practice.
- Prioritise research that will enable hydrogen production at scale, including storage, distribution and facilities solutions.
These outcomes will see the North and beyond benefit from increased energy efficiency and reduced capital cost in the production, storage, transmission and use of blue and green hydrogen – decarbonising buildings, industry and transport. As well as measurable greenhouse gas reductions, improved air quality and health benefits.
The UK will also benefit economically from development of a UK hydrogen supply chain, safeguarding and creating new high value jobs, creation of new businesses and diversification into new areas of work for declining sectors such as oil and gas, and the opportunity to drive new skills and position the UK as a world leader in the field.
Why N8 Net Zero North?
Our existing resources and programmes across N8 and the North offer a combination of collaborative strengths, making us best placed to deliver the outcomes of the Sustainable Hydrogen Economy for the region.
The Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review identifies energy as a prime capability for the North, due to the region’s expertise around generation, storage, and low carbon technologies and processes, especially in nuclear and offshore wind. There is a pan-Northern opportunity to bring together the region’s research expertise, industrial capacity, and planned major investments in nuclear energy, offshore wind energy, and tidal power with significant industry pull for new green hydrogen production and storage processes.
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