Boris Johnson to double hydrogen targets to cut gas use.
The Prime Minister will push for the use of hydrogen as part of the Government’s energy strategy in the hope that hydrogen can be used to heat more than a third of UK homes by 2050. By 2030, the Government will increase targets of low-carbon hydrogen from 5GW capacity to 10GW in a “big bet” on hydrogen.
Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said yesterday on Twitter: “Global hydrogen production is booming – we are going to get as much market share as possible.
“This homegrown superfuel could power British industry, homes, and transport.
“We are ready to generate 5GW this decade, but we will go further in this week’s Energy Security Strategy.”
Increased use of hydrogen will be used for public transport and industry and by 2026 the Government will announce whether it is safe to use to heat homes.
Concerns have been raised around the cost for fear that it could be delivered to consumers through energy bills as is the case with the wind energy subsidy system.
The Government has taken a “50:50” approach to hydrogen production, as while hydrogen does not produce carbon when burned, the size of its carbon footprint depends on how the gas is produced.
Environmental activists have issued a warning that the government must prioritize “green” hydrogen over “blue” hydrogen.
Green hydrogen is produced using electricity from renewable sources to obtain hydrogen from water, while blue hydrogen is produced using natural gas.
Former Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom said: “My concern is that the government’s new energy strategy will be great in the medium term, but it won’t do enough to help with energy bills this winter.
“The 1922 committee report is full of practical ideas about what the government can do in the short term, as well as how consumers can help themselves.”
The 1922 committee on business, energy, and industrial strategy published advice for households, including turning off radiators in unused rooms and lowering the temperature of gas boilers.
The committee also called for a “permissive” planning regime for fracking and renewable schemes.
