Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the impact of introducing hydrogen into the gas transmission network on the growth of the (a) hydrogen production and (b) renewable energy industries.

The Government aims to make a policy decision on whether to blend hydrogen into the existing gas distribution networks in 2023, subject to the outcomes from ongoing economic and safety assessments and strategic considerations, including potential impacts on hydrogen production and the wider energy system. The initial 2023 policy decision will consider distribution-level blending only. The Government will assess the case for blending at transmission-level, which may be subject to a separate policy decision at a later date. There are additional considerations associated with transmission level blending that will be factored in as part of the assessment.