Decisions on UK hydrogen transmission and business models for hydrogen transportation and storage should be fast tracked, given long lead times associated with hydrogen storage, according to a new Climate Change Committee report.

Its Delivering a reliable decarbonised power system report believes a ‘reliable, resilient, decarbonised electricity system’ can be delivered by 2035 – providing the Government sets strategic direction for power and non-power uses of hydrogen and other low-carbon technologies.

By 2025, the indicators suggest the energy system must have underway the construction of at least 3-6GW of low-carbon dispatchable generation capacity, 4-7GW of low-carbon hydrogen production, 1-2TWh of hydrogen storage, and 39-64Mt of CO2 storage space.

“Delays in the delivery of hydrogen infrastructure could limit the role for hydrogen in the 2035 energy system, including its role to provide low-carbon back-up capacity,” it states.