IGEM's Response for Powering up Britain
The UK Government has published their Powering Up Britain package which contains a suite of new announcements to develop a thriving UK hydrogen economy.
These announcements include:
- Energy security: setting the UK on a path to greater energy independence.
- Consumer security: bringing bills down, and keeping them affordable, and making wholesale electricity prices among the cheapest in Europe.
- Climate security: supporting industry to move away from expensive and dirty fossil fuels.
- Economic security: playing our part in reducing inflation and boosting growth, delivering high skilled jobs for the future.
The announcement contains a list of the first 20 projects which have been short listed in the first electrolytic Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR1) totalling 408MW of capacity across England, Scotland and Wales. The UK Government expects to award contracts in Q4 2023, with first projects becoming operational in 2025.
I welcome the announcement of the “Power Up Britain” launched today by the minister and The Net Zero plan which has numerous measures to cut emissions including announcing the first carbon capture sites. However, the plan has major gaps with no new investment and it is difficult to see how this announcement advances our legally binding commitment to meet net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. We need to see government take action now against growth initiatives from other countries which are attracting billions in private-sector investment. This is however, a very welcome step in the right direction.