A net-zero future with hydrogen

Hydrogen is expected to play a critical role in the decarbonisation of transport. Clare Jackson, CEO of Hydrogen UK, explains why hydrogen makes a particularly good zero-emission fuel for large and specialist vehicles

Could you explain why hydrogen is a good zero-carbon fuel for transport, especially for larger vehicles?

Hydrogen offers important savings in emissions when used in a fuel cell, not only CO2, but also critical non-CO2 emissions such as NOx. Although electric vehicles can also provide these emissions savings, hydrogen has its advantages. Hydrogen has a high energy density in both gaseous and liquid form. This is advantageous for larger and specialist vehicles, such as buses and heavy-duty vehicles, and aviation, where low weight, packaging constraints and range is critical.
    
Hydrogen also has a fast-refuelling time and is comparable to that of the standard combustion vehicle – a benefit that is realised more when it comes to larger vehicles.  
 
This point critically has the greatest impact on heavy and freight transport where quick refuelling time and lower weight is needed to ensure goods can be transported efficiently.

Hydrogen UK’s Hydrogen Transport Benchmarking report is calling on the government to publish a ‘Hydrogen in Transport’ strategy. Can you explain what you’d like to see in the strategy, and also, why having a strategy is important?

The publication of a Hydrogen in Transport strategy that cuts across departments will be important in creating alignment, particularly between the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Transport, in related work streams. Policy alignment will ensure coordination, streamlining efforts and avoid potential conflicts which currently exist today through the RTFO and LCHA.
    
A strategy also provides clear direction from the government and sets priorities including objectives, targets, and timelines which offer certainty to create a favourable market environment, building investor confidence and stimulating the market.

The report also calls for the creation of a minimum viable network of 200, >1 tonne per day capacity, hydrogen refuelling stations by 2030. Can you explain more about what a viable hydrogen refuelling network would look like?

A viable hydrogen refuelling network would offer a well-planned and interconnected system of stations around the country that would effectively support the deployment, adoption and operation of hydrogen-powered vehicles. There are aspects we see as critical to having a viable hydrogen refuelling network in the UK. The network should provide adequate coverage, strategically placed across regions this would help to address range anxiety concerns and would promote the widespread adoption of hydrogen vehicles.
    
Scalability and flexibility is also important. The network should be designed to allow for future growth and expansion as the market develops and should be able to be flexible to changes in demand.
    
There also needs to be standardisation of equipment, protocols, accessibility and safety procedures to enable vehicles from different manufacturers to refuel at any station within the network. This was a key issue with the EV refuelling infrastructure roll-out.
    
Hydrogen refuelling stations should offer fast and efficient refuelling experiences, comparable to conventional gasoline or diesel refuelling times to ensure customer experience is important. Technological advancements, such as high-pressure refuelling, can contribute to faster refuelling speeds (under 15 minutes) and maintaining a reliable system is crucial to building trust among vehicle owners and fleet operators, ensuring they can rely on a network for daily operations.
    
Learning from the experience of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure rollouts is critical. It can help identify best practices, avoid potential pitfalls, and streamline the deployment of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. Lessons can be learned regarding the timing and pace of infrastructure development, an issue that still needs to be addressed to reach government targets.

You also call for the rollout of more hydrogen ecosystems like the Tees Valley project. Could you explain why this approach is important?

A hydrogen ecosystem is an integrated network of infrastructure, technologies, and stakeholders that support the development, distribution, storage, and utilisation of hydrogen as an energy carrier. It encompasses various elements such as hydrogen production facilities, storage systems, transportation infrastructure, fuelling stations, and end-use applications. Developing these elements individually presents challenges around supply and demand, whereas an ecosystem creates an integrated growth model for hydrogen in a region, as each element supports and enables the other to grow. Industrial clusters are good candidates for hydrogen ecosystems as they tend to aggregate various hydrogen demand segments like heavy industry, transport and power.

What could the government do to support hydrogen, and how can businesses be incentivised to adopt the fuel?

The government can support hydrogen adoption by providing financial incentives, establishing supportive regulatory and mandatory obligation frameworks, fostering public-private partnerships, supporting demonstration projects, encouraging industry collaboration, creating market demand and also implementing carbon penalties. Europe has already committed that hydrogen refuelling stations should be installed every 200 kilometres along main routes by 2031. It is these types of measures which can incentivise businesses to invest in and adopt hydrogen technologies with confidence, driving the decarbonisation of the transport sector and contributing to a sustainable and low-carbon future.