Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the impact of battery weights on 4 and 6 axle electric HGVs on the payload they are able to carry to remain within maximum axle weights and gross vehicle weights.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has already taken steps to support uptake of electric HGVs by increasing their maximum gross weight limit to reduce any payload loss compared to a diesel equivalent. The Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 came into force in July 2023, and there is an associated published impact assessment.
The Department is also in the procurement process for a research project on weights and dimensions of zero emission HGVs. The project will provide an evidence base to inform policy discussions regarding weights and dimensions within the UK. The deadline for bids was on Sunday 19 November.
Since the plug-in van grant was launched in 2012, it has supported over 40,000 electric vans and HGVs across the UK. There are now almost 60 models of electric vans and trucks eligible for grants. These include a wide variety of specifications, such as differing wheelhouses and roof heights, and benefit from lower running costs than internal combustion engine vans.
Finally, to further increase the evidence base on performance of the largest zero emission HGVs, the Department’s £200m zero emission HGV and infrastructure programme will demonstrate zero emission HGVs and their associated charging and fuelling infrastructure at scale on UK roads. The four winning projects will roll out up to 370 zero emission HGVs, around 50 battery electric charging sites and up to 7 hydrogen refuelling stations.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of increases in battery weights on the uptake of four and six axle electric heavy goods vehicles.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has already taken steps to support uptake of electric HGVs by increasing their maximum gross weight limit to reduce any payload loss compared to a diesel equivalent. The Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 came into force in July 2023, and there is an associated published impact assessment.
The Department is also in the procurement process for a research project on weights and dimensions of zero emission HGVs. The project will provide an evidence base to inform policy discussions regarding weights and dimensions within the UK. The deadline for bids was on Sunday 19 November.
Since the plug-in van grant was launched in 2012, it has supported over 40,000 electric vans and HGVs across the UK. There are now almost 60 models of electric vans and trucks eligible for grants. These include a wide variety of specifications, such as differing wheelhouses and roof heights, and benefit from lower running costs than internal combustion engine vans.
Finally, to further increase the evidence base on performance of the largest zero emission HGVs, the Department’s £200m zero emission HGV and infrastructure programme will demonstrate zero emission HGVs and their associated charging and fuelling infrastructure at scale on UK roads. The four winning projects will roll out up to 370 zero emission HGVs, around 50 battery electric charging sites and up to 7 hydrogen refuelling stations.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the low carbon fuels strategy; and what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the use of hydrogen in aviation.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is planning to publish a Low Carbon Fuels Strategy in early 2024, which aims to support investment in the sector by setting out a vision for the deployment of low carbon fuels across transport modes up to 2050.
The Government’s Jet Zero Strategy published in 2022 recognises the role that hydrogen can play, both directly as a fuel in zero emission flight and as a feedstock for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, in our approach to achieving net zero aviation by 2050.
In addition, the Government, through the Department for Business and Trade, is investing £685 million between 2022 and 2025 through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme to co-fund with industry the development of ultra-efficient and zero emission, including hydrogen, aircraft technology.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the public usage of hydrogen refueling stations; and whether she has made an estimate of future usage of these stations over the next five years.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are seven publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK, which serve a fleet of approximately 230 vehicles, including buses, HGVs and light duty cars and vans. The Department most recently published illustrative future hydrogen demand ranges as part of the Government’s UK Hydrogen Strategy (2021), which projected between 0 and 6 TWh of future hydrogen demand from transport in 2030.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to engage with tier 2 suppliers developing new hydrogen technology for the aviation sector.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Department for Business and Trade is investing £685m through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme to co-fund the development of zero-carbon and ultra-efficient aircraft technology and cross-cutting enablers. This includes collaborative R&D projects to develop new hydrogen technologies.
We are funding the ATI’s Hydrogen Capability Network Phase 0 project to explore the operating model for open access facilities to accelerate the development of liquid hydrogen aircraft technologies and capabilities.
As part of the Jet Zero Council, a Zero Emission Flight Delivery Group is advising on how government and industry can work together to accelerate the adoption of zero emission flight.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Aerospace Technology Institute Fly Zero project, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the use of hydrogen in long haul aviation.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The conclusions made by the FlyZero project were used to inform the Government’s Jet Zero Strategy, which was published in July 2022, and sets out the Government’s approach to achieving net zero 2050 for UK aviation. The use of hydrogen is considered in the Zero Emission Flight chapter of the Strategy.
The Strategy anticipates that hydrogen will be first deployed in short haul aviation with recognised uncertainty on the potential for and timing of its scaling up for use in long haul. As with all measures in the Jet Zero Strategy the Government keeps the evidence base under regular review and any changes will be reflected in future updates to the Strategy.
Building on the recommendations of the FlyZero project, the Government, through the Department for Business and Trade, are funding the initial phase of a Hydrogen Capability Network. This project aims to define the operating model for open-access facilities designed to accelerate the development of liquid hydrogen aircraft technologies, capabilities, and skills in the UK.
The Government continues its work with industry and academia through the Jet Zero Council to drive the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions. In 2022 a Delivery Group of the Council was established on Zero Emission Flight, which considers the use of hydrogen in meeting net zero aviation by 2050.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the processes it has in place for the licensing of hydrogen in aviation (a) testing and (b) programmes.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government works closely with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK’s independent aviation regulator.
Baroness Vere met with new CAA CEO Rob Bishton on 26 October and discussions included the CAA’s approach to regulating innovative technologies that will support decarbonisation of the sector.
The CAA are active participants in the Jet Zero Council, the forum that brings together Government, industry and academia to drive the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions and co-chaired by the Secretaries of State for Transport, Business and Trade and Energy Security and Net Zero. The CAA attended the ninth Jet Zero Council, held on 8 November, and also chair a Regulatory Sub-Group within the Zero Emission Flight Delivery Group of the Council.
The CAA is supporting the testing of hydrogen in aviation by a range of UK organisations. As one example ZeroAvia, with CAA permissions, are currently test flying an aircraft using hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion in Gloucestershire.
The CAA have also established a Hydrogen Regulatory Challenge which will run for 18 months from October 2023 supported by funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Regulatory Pioneers Fund.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the sustainable aviation fuel price support mechanism on the (a) price of such fuel and (b) adoption of (i) fuel-efficient technology and (ii) hydrogen implementation.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Government has committed to launching a consultation on the options for designing and implementing a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) revenue certainty scheme by the end of April 2024, in line with the statutory commitment made in the Energy Act 2023. This consultation, along with key Government policies such as the SAF mandate and Advanced Fuels Fund aim to support the development of a UK SAF industry.
Government will assess the impacts of a revenue certainty mechanism on fuel pricing and technology as part of that consultation.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to encourage British businesses to invest in (a) green energy, (b) hydrogen and (c) other sustainable initiatives in (i) the Western Sahara and (ii) Morocco.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK works closely with Morocco to maximise cooperation in several areas, including in trade and investment. The UK-Morocco Association Agreement facilitates this trading relationship, which has grown significantly since entry into force in January 2021.
The Department of Business and Trade frequently engages its Moroccan counterparts to promote and support green investment into Morocco. The UK and Morocco are co-leads on the Power Breakthrough, which aims to make clean power the most affordable and reliable option for all countries by 2030. With regard to Western Sahara, I refer my hon. Friend to my response to Question 1500.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the North Sea Transition Authority's (a) efficacy as a regulator and (b) ability to support the delivery of the Government's climate targets.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Energy Act 2016 requires the North Sea Transition Authority’s (NSTA) performance to be reviewed at least every three years. The report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oil-and-gas-authority-review-2022) following the second such review, which also met the requirements of the Cabinet Office’s Arm’s Length Body Review Programme, was published in June 2023. It found that the NSTA is in good health and effective in meeting its statutory requirements. The Authority plays a crucial role in helping to achieve the Government's commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 while supporting energy resilience and the drive to develop home-grown hydrogen and carbon storage.