Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has backed hydrogen in his 10-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, which aims to create 250,000 jobs.
As well as reaffirming the government’s commitment to 40GW of offshore wind by 2030, the plan also aims to support difficult-to-decarbonise industries to become greener, with research projects for zero-emission planes and ships. There will be £20mn set aside for clean maritime innovations.
Elsewhere, the blueprint aims for the UK to become a world-leader in carbon capture and storage, aiming to remove 10MT of carbon dioxide by 2030. It pledges an extra £200mn of funding to create two carbon capture clusters by the mid-2020s, followed by another two by 2030, lifting the total investment to £1bn, supporting 50,000 jobs.
In summary, the 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution indicates a total of £12bn investment, with £8bn newly planned expenditure and £4bn in keeping with previous pledges.
- Offshore wind: Committing the UK to producing enough offshore wind to power every home, pledging 40GW by 2030, supporting up to 60,000 jobs.
- Hydrogen: Working with industry with the aim of generating 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for industry, transport, power and homes. Up to £500mn investment, including for trialling homes using hydrogen for heating and cooking, with the aim of developing a town heated entirely by hydrogen come the end of the decade.
- Nuclear: Advancing nuclear as a clean energy source, investing £525mn to develop large and smaller-scale nuclear plants, and research and develop new advanced modular reactors, supporting 10,000 jobs.
- Electric vehicles: Moving the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans to 2030 – though hybrid cars and vans that can drive a significant distance with no carbon coming out of the tailpipe can continue to be sold until 2035.
- £1.3bn will be invested to accelerate the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
- £582mn in grants for those buying zero or ultra-low emission vehicles.
- Almost £500mn to be spent in the next four years for the development and mass-scale of EV batteries, as part of the government’s commitment to provide up to £1bn.
- Public transport, cycling and walking: Ensuring cycling and walking become more attractive ways to travel and investing in zero-emission public transport of the future.
- £5bn to be committed to funding for alternative cycling, walking and low-carbon buses.
- Jet Zero and greener maritime: Support for difficult-to-decarbonise industries as they become greener through research projects for zero-emission planes and ships.
- £20mn for a competition to develop clean maritime technology.
- Homes and public buildings: The aim of making homes, schools and hospitals greener, warmer and more energy efficient, creating 50,000 jobs by 2030, and the goal of installing 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028.
- £1bn next year into making new and existing homes and public buildings more efficient, extending the Green Homes Grant by a year and making public sector buildings greener and cutting bills for hospitals and schools through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
- Carbon capture: Ensuring the UK becomes a world-leader in carbon capture and storage, targeting the removal of 10MT of carbon dioxide by 2030.
- An extra £200mn to create two carbon capture clusters by the mid-2020s, with another two following by 2030, lifting the total invested to £1bn, supporting 50,000 jobs.
- Nature: Protecting and restoring the natural environment by planting 30,000 hectares of trees each year.
- £5.2bn to create new flood and coastal defences in England by 2027.
- Innovation and finance: Developing technologies required to realise these energy ambitions and making London the global centre of green finance.
- £1bn energy innovation fund for commercial new low carbon technology.
