UK hydrogen - let’s not miss the opportunity!

Will the UK repeat the mistake of lithium on batteries: invented in Britain, commercialised in Japan, and barely manufactured in the UK?

The government's recently published new Hydrogen Strategy disappoints:

• Funding? European countries commit billions to hydrogen development (€7 billion in Germany alone ) - the UK’s strategy is homeopathic in its ratio of pages to actual policy.

• Big idea? Fit motorways with overhead cables to power electric trucks. Electrifying railway lines is too expensive so they will electrify motorways instead?

• New tech? Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has failed to deliver for decades.

• Cleantech? Blue hydrogen to delight the oil & gas industry, offering the mirage of zero-emissions hydrocarbons.

Instead of fiddling with marginal technologies, the government must make a serious, long-term commitment to green hydrogen so the UK can lead globally.

Green is the only clean form of hydrogen, electrolysed from water by renewable energy. That is not special pleading, it is just science.

Viritech, recently released a Call to Action to put hydrogen at the centre of the revolution in transportation and energy:

· put a world-leading hydrogen policy in place

· get behind it with abundant funding

· ensure the UK does not miss this opportunity to be a dominant force in a key technology of the future

It’s this simple – green hydrogen tech is vital to delivering the futures of our children and grandchildren. The UK should lead the way.

We’d love to hear what you think, get in touch info@viritech.co.uk