"Hydrogen revolution" to create thousands of UK jobs as government launches new strategy

The government has announced that it is set to create 9,000 jobs over the next decade with the launch of its new Hydrogen Strategy.

The plans, revealed today (August 17), will see the government working with industries to replace natural gas in homes with hydrogen.

A low-carbon ‘hydrogen economy’ is expected to be worth £900m and create 9,000 jobs by 2030, with the potential to rise to 100,000 jobs by 2050.

Over the next decade, the government is aiming for hydrogen to drive the decarbonisation of pollution-heavy industries like chemicals, oil refineries and shipping.

Measures outlined in today’s strategy include a new £240m Net Zero Hydrogen Fund to support new hydrogen plants across the country, establishing a UK standard for low carbon hydrogen, and launching a development action plan.

Kwasi Kwarteng, business and energy secretary, commented: “Today marks the start of the UK’s hydrogen revolution.

“This home-grown clean energy source has the potential to transform the way we power our lives and will be essential to tackling climate change and reaching Net Zero.

“With the potential to provide a third of the UK’s energy in the future, our strategy positions the UK as first in the global race to ramp up hydrogen technology and seize the thousands of jobs and private investment that come with it.”

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, energy and climate change minister, said: “Today’s Hydrogen Strategy sends a strong signal globally that we are committed to building a thriving low carbon hydrogen economy that could deliver hundreds of thousands of high-quality green jobs, helps millions of homes transition to green energy, support our key industrial heartlands to move away from fossil fuels and bring in significant investment.”