The 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution published last autumn commits the government to delivering 5GW of hydrogen by the end of the decade, however it does not specify how much of projected capacity should be ‘green’ hydrogen produced using renewable energy and electrolyser technology, leaving the door open for a significant expansion in the use of hydrogen produced from fossil gas.
“By enhancing our renewable energy targets, the UK doesn’t just show effective leadership on tackling climate change – we will also drive new investment and jobs in the renewable energy supply chain across the UK,” Bennett added.
The trade association has also urged the government to publish a ‘just transition strategy’ that sets out how it plans to ensure the shift to a low carbon economy is inclusive and offers opportunities to ‘level up’ regional inequalities.
“The UK was the first major economy to legislate to eliminate our contribution to climate change by 2050 and last month the government committed to reduce emissions in 2035 by at least 78 per cent compared to 1990 levels – the highest reduction target by a major economy to date,” the spokesperson said.
LCCC chief executive Neil McDermott said that projects allocated contracts in the third round of the government subsidy scheme had faced challenges of “an unprecedented scale” due to Brexit uncertainty, the coronavirus pandemic, and a judicial review claim against the CfD allocation process which was brought by Banks Renewables but later withdrawn.
He added that the milestone highlighted the crucial role the government clean energy auction scheme was playing in decarbonising the UK’s power sector.