Sustainable hydrogen: green and blue and the EU/UK policy overview - Gowling WLG
In this insight Gowling WLG review the latest developments in the European hydrogen sector and the current policy framework, as well as assess some of the opportunities across Europe.
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Executive Summary:
- The UK has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and sustainable hydrogen is expected to play a key part in achieving this.
- Recent UK Government plans include a commitment to achieve 5GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 (using both blue and green hydrogen), to be supported by a £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund.
- The UK will publish a dedicated hydrogen strategy later this year.
- The UK's strategy is best viewed as an industrial strategy to support the Government's plans to boost the local economies of historically deprived areas of the country. The UK, however, lacks a formal industrial strategy.
- The EU has also committed to net-zero by 2050 and has a low-carbon hydrogen target of 40GW of installed electrolyser capacity by 2030.
- The EU's hydrogen strategy focuses heavily on green hydrogen, with blue hydrogen viewed as a stop gap measure for existing grey hydrogen production facilities. This strategy risks ignoring the role blue hydrogen can play in decarbonising more quickly.
- Several EU member states have also published their own hydrogen strategies in recent years with independent targets and financing plans.
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