Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when Ofgem plans to issue its first annual report on the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme; whether that report will include the range, nature and uptake of SEG tariffs; when his Department plans to carry out its review of the effectiveness of that scheme; and what steps his Department is planning to take to improve the route to market for community energy generators.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Ofgem are required to publish a report on the SEG each calendar year, starting in 2021. Ofgem are currently in the process of collecting data from suppliers, with plans to publish the first report later this year. This will include information regarding available SEG tariffs, the size and technology of installations, the electricity exported, and the payments provided. BEIS will review the findings and consider whether any changes to the SEG are required in the future.
On route to market for community energy generators, our recent call for evidence, as part of a wider review of the licence exemptions regime for supply and generation, is designed to ensure licence exemptions are fit for purpose in the changing landscape. BEIS are currently considering responses and will issue a response in due course.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase the production of green hydrogen from nuclear energy.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan confirmed our aim, working with industry, for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy.
The Government welcomes the nuclear industry’s ambition to support low-carbon hydrogen production. BEIS funded EdF’s ‘Hydrogen to Heysham’ feasibility study[1] showing that current nuclear technologies are technically capable of producing low-carbon hydrogen in the 2020s. Recognising planned decommissioning and the time required to build new nuclear, we assess that the amount of hydrogen produced from nuclear in this period will be determined by the availability of nuclear power for this purpose.
The forthcoming UK Hydrogen Strategy will set out further detail on the role of hydrogen production technologies in meeting our 5GW ambition. This ambition will be supported by a range of measures, including a £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, and our preferred long term, sustainable business model, which we will finalise in 2022. We intend to support a range of low carbon production methods but will be guided by timing, volumes and other considerations to meet our 5GW ambition. We will be consulting shortly on these measures, alongside the publication of the UK Hydrogen Strategy.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hydrogen-supply-competition
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the UK's potential to produce green hydrogen from nuclear energy between (a) 2021 and 2025 and (b) 2025 and 2030.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan confirmed our aim, working with industry, for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy.
The Government welcomes the nuclear industry’s ambition to support low-carbon hydrogen production. BEIS funded EdF’s ‘Hydrogen to Heysham’ feasibility study[1] showing that current nuclear technologies are technically capable of producing low-carbon hydrogen in the 2020s. Recognising planned decommissioning and the time required to build new nuclear, we assess that the amount of hydrogen produced from nuclear in this period will be determined by the availability of nuclear power for this purpose.
The forthcoming UK Hydrogen Strategy will set out further detail on the role of hydrogen production technologies in meeting our 5GW ambition. This ambition will be supported by a range of measures, including a £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, and our preferred long term, sustainable business model, which we will finalise in 2022. We intend to support a range of low carbon production methods but will be guided by timing, volumes and other considerations to meet our 5GW ambition. We will be consulting shortly on these measures, alongside the publication of the UK Hydrogen Strategy.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hydrogen-supply-competition
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase the production of green hydrogen from onshore renewable energy.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan confirmed our aim, working with industry, for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy.
The UK has abundant sources of renewable electricity, and the Prime Minister has made a further commitment to deploying 40 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, alongside further deployment of onshore wind.
Our ongoing work with stakeholders suggests there is a strong pipeline of electrolytic hydrogen projects ready to deploy in the 2020s, building on our existing investment in research and innovation to ensure we can achieve the scale up in low carbon hydrogen production necessary to meet our future energy needs.
The forthcoming UK Hydrogen Strategy will set out further detail on the role of hydrogen production technologies in meeting our 5GW ambition, including electrolytic projects using offshore and onshore wind as a primary electricity input. This ambition will be supported by a range of measures, including a £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, and our preferred long term, sustainable business model, which we will finalise in 2022. We will be consulting shortly on these measures, alongside the publication of the UK Hydrogen Strategy.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase the production of green hydrogen from offshore renewable energy.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan confirmed our aim, working with industry, for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy.
The UK has abundant sources of renewable electricity, and the Prime Minister has made a further commitment to deploying 40 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, alongside further deployment of onshore wind.
Our ongoing work with stakeholders suggests there is a strong pipeline of electrolytic hydrogen projects ready to deploy in the 2020s, building on our existing investment in research and innovation to ensure we can achieve the scale up in low carbon hydrogen production necessary to meet our future energy needs.
The forthcoming UK Hydrogen Strategy will set out further detail on the role of hydrogen production technologies in meeting our 5GW ambition, including electrolytic projects using offshore and onshore wind as a primary electricity input. This ambition will be supported by a range of measures, including a £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, and our preferred long term, sustainable business model, which we will finalise in 2022. We will be consulting shortly on these measures, alongside the publication of the UK Hydrogen Strategy.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the UK's potential to produce hydrogen from onshore renewable energy between (a) 2021 and 2025 and (b) 2025 and 2030.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan confirmed our aim, working with industry, for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy.
The UK has abundant sources of renewable electricity, and the Prime Minister has made a further commitment to deploying 40 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, alongside further deployment of onshore wind.
Our ongoing work with stakeholders suggests there is a strong pipeline of electrolytic hydrogen projects ready to deploy in the 2020s, building on our existing investment in research and innovation to ensure we can achieve the scale up in low carbon hydrogen production necessary to meet our future energy needs.
The forthcoming UK Hydrogen Strategy will set out further detail on the role of hydrogen production technologies in meeting our 5GW ambition, including electrolytic projects using offshore and onshore wind as a primary electricity input. This ambition will be supported by a range of measures, including a £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, and our preferred long term, sustainable business model, which we will finalise in 2022. We will be consulting shortly on these measures, alongside the publication of the UK Hydrogen Strategy.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the UK's potential to produce hydrogen from offshore renewable energy between (a) 2021 and 2025 and (b) 2025 and 2030.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan confirmed our aim, working with industry, for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy.
The UK has abundant sources of renewable electricity, and the Prime Minister has made a further commitment to deploying 40 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, alongside further deployment of onshore wind.
Our ongoing work with stakeholders suggests there is a strong pipeline of electrolytic hydrogen projects ready to deploy in the 2020s, building on our existing investment in research and innovation to ensure we can achieve the scale up in low carbon hydrogen production necessary to meet our future energy needs.
The forthcoming UK Hydrogen Strategy will set out further detail on the role of hydrogen production technologies in meeting our 5GW ambition, including electrolytic projects using offshore and onshore wind as a primary electricity input. This ambition will be supported by a range of measures, including a £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, and our preferred long term, sustainable business model, which we will finalise in 2022. We will be consulting shortly on these measures, alongside the publication of the UK Hydrogen Strategy.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the Government's hydrogen strategy; and what assessment his Department’s has made of progress on expanding the UK’s hydrogen production capacity to date.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The first ever UK Hydrogen Strategy is set to be published before summer recess and will lay out what is required to build a hydrogen economy fit for 2030, Carbon Budget 6 and beyond, whilst maximising economic benefits and supporting jobs and skills.
The UK currently produces only a minimal amount of low carbon hydrogen, for localised transport projects or trials and testing in other end uses, and a significant increase in production levels will be required to meet our future energy needs. My Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan was clear on our aim for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy. We have already published an expression of interest for our Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 Competition to support further innovation in this area.
We will also consult, alongside the Hydrogen Strategy, on policy instruments to further support an increase in low carbon hydrogen production, including the £240m Net-Zero Hydrogen Fund (NZHF) and our preferred long term, sustainable business model, which we will finalise in 2022.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of allocating funding to hydrogen-based steelmaking to decarbonise the UK steel industry.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
My Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan was clear on our aim for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy. The forthcoming Hydrogen Strategy will set out what is required to build a hydrogen economy fit for 2030, Carbon Budget 6 and beyond, whilst maximising economic benefits. We will also consult on priority policies, including hydrogen business models, a low carbon hydrogen standard, and the £240m Net Zero Hydrogen Fund.
The Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy, published on 17 March, commits to work with the newly constituted Steel Council to consider the implications of the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee to ‘set targets for ore-based steelmaking to reach near-zero emissions by 2035’. Hydrogen-based steelmaking is one of the technological approaches being examined as part of this process.
To support these efforts, the Government has announced a £250 million Clean Steel Fund to support the UK steel sector to transition to lower carbon iron and steel production, through investment in new technologies and processes. The decarbonisation of the steel sector and industry more widely will also be supported through the £1 billion CCUS Infrastructure Fund (CIF) and the £240m NetZero Hydrogen Fund.