A new report on Hydrogen from renewable power: Technology outlook for the energy transition has been released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This report shows Hydrogen can help meet a range of energy needs that would be difficult to address through direct electrification, making hydrogen the missing link in the global transition to a low carbon energy system. As the world strives to cut carbon emissions, electric power from renewables has emerged as a vital energy source. Yet transport and industry will still require combustible fuels for many purposes. Such needs could be met with hydrogen, which itself can be produced using renewable power.

The UK Government has published the Delivering Clean Growth: CCUS Cost Challenge Taskforce Report. This is an independent report by the CCUS Cost Challenge Taskforce setting out the industry’s view on how best to progress carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) in the UK. This report contains a number of recommendations which will support the wider deployment of hydrogen into heat and transport sectors.  The CCUS Task Force report explains that Hydrogen can be used by industry and other large gas consumers for both power and heat to reduce their on-site emissions, either by blending hydrogen into the existing natural gas networks or by replacing the natural gas with hydrogen. In transport, hydrogen with CCUS could be an enabler for decarbonising the transport fleet, including trucks, trains and shipping.

The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), based in the Orkney Islands of Scotland, has just been announced as one of the Top 200 Influencing World Projects by the Institution of Civil Engineering. This recognises the pioneering and world-changing work that is taking place at their wave and tidal energy test sites in the Orkney Islands.

HYSEAS III will pave the way for the building and launch of the world’s first sea-going car and passenger ferry fuelled by hydrogen. The FCH JU supported development is expected to cost around €12.6 million. The vessel’s fuel will be produced from renewable electricity marking a paradigm shift towards entirely emissions-free marine transport. The successful test will allow a vessel to be constructed, in the already assured knowledge that such a vessel can operate safely and efficiently around Scotland’s challenging coast. The vessel is planned to operate in and around Orkney, which is already producing hydrogen in volume from constrained –hence otherwise wasted – renewable energy.

The €11m Integrating Tidal Energy into the European Grid (ITEG) project brings together partners from across the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands to address energy-related carbon emissions in North-West Europe and tackle grid export limitations faced in remote areas such as Orkney. The ITEG project consortium includes the European Marine Energy Centre as the lead partner, together with Scotrenewables Tidal Power, AREVA H2Gen, the Energy Systems Catapult, Energy Valley/New Energy Coalition, University of Caen Normandy, University of Le Havre Normandy, Ghent University and the Normandy Development Agency.

The EU Commission has proposed their most ambitious Research and Innovation programme yet. For the next long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the Commission is proposing €100 billion for research and innovation. This new programme – called Horizon Europe – will build on the achievements and success of the current €30 billion Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

The International Energy Agency has released an update on Renewable Energy for Industry: Offshore Wind in Northern Europe. This note expands on the findings of the recent IEA Insight Paper on renewable energy for industry, released in November 2017. This update note by Cédric Philibert of the IEA Renewables Energy Division explores the potential for decarbonising the European industry by replacing fossil fuels with electricity from offshore wind in Northern Europe, either directly or via hydrogen production.

Action to mitigate climate change is a key component of the Scottish Government’s aim to create a growing, sustainable and inclusive economy. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 set world-leading greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, including a target to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050. The Scottish Government now intends to introduce a new Climate Change Bill with even more ambitious targets. Proposals include setting targets based on actual emissions, and increasing the 2050 target to 90% emissions reduction.

Recent economic modelling work carried out by the EPSRC funded H2FC SUPERGEN shows the economic gains which can be achieved through low carbon policies, and specifically developing supply chain activity to support refuelling of battery/hydrogen vehicles. This new paper by Turner et al sets out the opportunities for low emission vehicle refuelling supply chains potentially replicating the strength of domestic upstream linkages observed in the UK electricity and/or gas industries. They use input-output multiplier analysis to deconstruct and assess the structure of these supply chains relative to that of more import-intensive petrol and diesel supply. A crucial multiplier result is that for every £1million of spending on electricity (or gas), 8 full-time equivalent jobs are supported throughout the UK. This compares to less than 3 jobs in the case of petrol/diesel supply.

The UK Government has launched their draft Clean Air Strategy which outlines ambitions relating to reducing air pollution, making our air healthier to breathe, protecting nature and boosting the economy. In this draft strategy, DEFRA set out future air quality policies and goals. This strategy sits alongside three other important UK government strategies: the Industrial Strategy, the Clean Growth Strategy and the 25 Year Environment Plan. The UK Government has asked the rail sector to set up a taskforce that will look at how to decarbonise the rail industry and improve air quality through reducing harmful emissions produced by the rail industry. The UK government has also challenged the taskforce to set out how the industry will meet the ambition of removing all diesel only trains by 2040, encompassing both freight and passenger traction. This Clean Air Strategy shows how we will tackle all sources of air pollution, making our air healthier to breathe, protecting nature and boosting the economy.