The Scottish Government, working alongside Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise, has launched their Hydrogen Assessment Project. This wide ranging evaluation of hydrogen will examine hydrogen’s role as an energy vector and its potential contribution to Scotland’s energy transition and our ambitious net zero emissions target for 2045.
The Hydrogen Assessment Project is the first part of building the evidence base to inform the Scottish Government’s strategic approach to hydrogen over the coming years, and will include an evaluation for the future use of hydrogen in the Scottish Economy. This will inform the development of the Scottish Government’s first hydrogen policy statement, and the release of the first Hydrogen Action Plan for Scotland later in 2020.
SHFCA member Arup, the global engineering and consultancy firm, has been appointed by Scottish Government to undertake this assessment of the potential to use hydrogen within the Scottish energy system. SHFCA member E4tech is supporting Arup as a partner in the project, bringing additional deep hydrogen expertise and leading some aspects of the analysis. The assessment outcomes will be used to help inform an upcoming hydrogen policy statement and the action plan which will assist the Scottish Government and its agencies in setting the policy agenda for hydrogen in Scotland over the next few decades.
Clare Lavelle, Arup’s Energy Leader for Scotland, said: “Hydrogen can bring many benefits as a low carbon energy source - we’re committed to supporting the Scottish Government in exploring how it could potentially help to achieve net zero emissions by 2045. Scotland’s natural resources, existing industrial skills and ambitious carbon reduction targets will be key to unlocking the true benefits that the hydrogen economy can bring. We will be applying our extensive experience and knowledge taken from our work with other governments including the UK, Australia and New Zealand, to carry out this assessment for the Scottish Government to support its future policies and plans.”
E4tech Director David Hart said “Scotland has long been active in hydrogen and has led thinking – and action – in many instances. We’re delighted to have been working with Scottish Government for most of that time, and look forward to working with Arup to continue that support and to help Scottish Government identify how hydrogen can bring both economic and environmental benefits to Scotland.”
Over the next few months Arup and E4tech will be helping the Scottish Government to run a series of webinars to capture and incorporate the views and insights of a wide and varied set of stakeholders within the assessment. This will help the Hydrogen Assessment to identify and evaluate the strengths, assets and the actors that will shape hydrogen development across Scotland, as well as exploring scenarios for how hydrogen might develop in Scotland to help deliver the key net zero emissions targets for 2030 and 2045.
The initial report and assessment will be finalised on behalf of the consortium for publication later in 2020, and will be used by the Scottish Government to support development of the hydrogen action plan and hydrogen policy statement.