In the UK, the government is aiming to increase UK production and usage of low-carbon in some industries, and has been supporting the development of pipeline and storage infrastructure to enable transport and supply. What does the development of low-carbon hydrogen mean for rural areas? Jessica Sellick investigates.
Hydrogen is increasingly being positioned as a low-carbon fuel for sectors that are difficult to electrify. The UK government has been supporting the development of hydrogen production, storage and transport infrastructure, with natural gas operators developing regional pipeline networks to serve industrial clusters. Looking ahead, these regional systems could eventually be linked through a national transmission-level network. The development of this infrastructure may prove just as important as hydrogen production itself because it will influence where investment flows, which businesses can access hydrogen, and which places are connected to future energy markets. What’s the potential of a National Hydrogen Network, and what could it mean for rural areas?
What is low-carbon hydrogen and why does it matter now?