Head of Global Policy Impact, Chris Sims, comments on European Hydrogen Week

Head of Global Policy Impact and member of the University of Nottingham Energy Institute, Chris Sims, comments on his visit to European Hydrogen Week. 

"I had the opportunity to attend European Hydrogen Week in Brussels at the end of November, along with Kat Mycock from HyDEX. As a policy wonk this was a great opportunity to gain insight into what’s occupying the minds of energy policy makers and the hydrogen business sector across Europe, and where the UK and the Midlands might best find opportunities.
 
From a very policy-focused event a few things emerged. Firstly, the war in Ukraine has made the push towards energy self-sufficiency a top priority in Europe, and this drove a feeling of urgency that undercut the whole event. While the need for new energy solutions to be green was largely treated as a given, it is the geopolitical rather than the environmental that is the big driver here.
 
Secondly, on current projections hydrogen supply is currently projected to fall short of industrial demand in locations across Europe, from Normandy to Lithuania and from Hamburg to Sofia. The continent urgently needs H2 pipelines and storage sites to deliver energy independence. Judging from the collaborations already planned, the political will to make this happen is there in many countries.
 
Thirdly, and concerningly, the UK was notable for its absence from the event. Scotland was quite visible – including as one of four featured projects in Hydrogen Europe’s glossy “Heroes of Hydrogen” book – but I didn’t see a single UK representative on stage. Despite the UK’s potential in green hydrogen production and the gaps in supply and demand mentioned above, it felt like we really weren’t part of the conversation. I don’t think this is just down to Brexit, as plenty of non-EU countries (including Japan, South Africa and Egypt) were actively represented – in the case of Egypt explicitly as a potential source of green hydrogen imports for Europe.
 
The hydrogen train is moving fast in Europe and with our alignment to Horizon now agreed, and potentially a new UK government within the next six months, it feels like the moment to get on board is now."