Media release by Hydrogen Energy: 15 September 2021
Today Hydrogen East, supported by sister company Net Zero East is holding a webinar on the Hydrogen Strategy and the implications for the East of England. We have already set out clearly our support for the Government’s twin-track strategy, the targets set out in it, and BEIS’ intention to establish a more detailed route map during 2022.
It is clear the hard work around development of hydrogen markets is only just beginning; it is a complex task with many moving parts. But the prize is potentially huge; providing the keys to unlocking not just hard-to-reach industrial sectors through deployment of CCS but decarbonisation through delivery of green hydrogen in a range of sectors that require steady and sustained progress to support delivery of Next Zero. Hydrogen could play a potentially significant role in helping to decarbonise transport and enable new approaches to heating, supporting more bespoke approaches with regional nuances to continuing electrification and its decarbonisation. It can also provide an import role in delivering a cleaner agricultural system and in decarbonising large construction projects associated with delivery of large energy infrastructure in the region.
A recording of the webinar will be accessible for those who are interested but cannot attend on the Hydrogen East website. As well as providing an overview of the strategy and the supporting consultations, it also provides an update and refresh of our vision for a regional hydrogen cluster in the New Anglia areas of Norfolk and Suffolk. It identifies a wide range of potential applications and projects, many with very specific local characteristics. It also provides insights into the work we are undertaking to progress potential pilot hydrogen development in the region, especially around deployment of early-stage electrolysers.
We also set out our own Manifesto or Ten Point Plan based on a series of commitments that will guide our work over the coming months as the Government completes its route map. They are:
1. Take on new resource including a project manager, an energy systems expert and a further undergraduate placement to supplement our resource and grow the team to eight[1]
2. We will develop in collaboration with the New Anglia LEP, regional councils and other key local stakeholders a vision for a hydrogen region and a supporting strategy to be made available over the coming months as the Comprehensive Spending Review is concluded and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is implemented
3. We will engage with regulated energy networks and operators to determine how our ground-breaking Lowestoft Plus project can be taken forward as a proposal under the new Strategic Innovation Fundwhen this is launched in mid-November
4. We will separately engage with regional electricity distributor UKPN to understand how we might partner with it under a Network Innovation Allowance project to address how the local flexibility benefits of electrolysers can be assessed and deployed, also supporting thermal constraint alleviation
5. Subject to obtaining confirmation of funding from the Community Renewal Fund, we will progress our project supporting Arup and Scottish Power to deliver the Hethel Feasibility Study around a centre of excellence for advanced fuels and engineering
6. We will continue to develop our evaluation of the Snetterton Clean Transport Hub concept
7. We will publicly launch our geospatial mapping platform by the end of the year to support site identification and assessment
8. Pulling the various learnings from the workstreams at 2-7 together, we will aim to ensure the New Anglia region can actively and successfully participate in the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund competition when it is launched in 2022
9. We will continue to work alongside other participants and stakeholders to support the OGA’s Bacton blue energy hub workstream and the Freeports East project, and
10. We will continue to work alongside key local stakeholders to ensure the potential for hydrogen development in New Anglia around a different type of regional cluster is well-understood and supported by local businesses, public organisations and politicians and that the region is able to effectively engage with key decision-makers in central government ensuring the potential of the region can be realised.
We will hold a further webinar in three months’ time reporting on progress and learnings. If you have any questions or want further information, please contact Nigel Cornwall on 07900092524 or by email nigel.cornwall@newangliaenergy.uk.
