Midlands Engine: Hydrogen Technologies Strategy

The UK must unlock the vast potential of hydrogen Hydrogen technologies made in the Midlands are the key The UK government’s Hydrogen Strategy states an ambition for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production by 2030, for use across the economy.

This new, low carbon hydrogen could help provide cleaner energy to power our economy and our everyday lives, from heating our homes to powering transport - but only if we invest with pace to develop and scale the hydrogen technologies that will enable consumers to access net zero hydrogen solutions.

The Ten Point Plan For Green Growth in the Midlands Engine sets out our region’s bold and ambitious actions with the power to create jobs, boost economic growth and reduce carbon impact. Recognising how crucial hydrogen will be in meeting 2050 Climate Change Act targets, our Ten Point Plan includes a specific section on low carbon hydrogen and a key action - to develop a Midlands Engine Hydrogen Technologies Strategy, drawing also on our region’s exceptional expertise and capacity in manufacturing.

Partners from across our region have responded with speed and purpose to co-author this unified document which articulates the role the Midlands can play, the capabilities across our region and our plans for the Midlands Engine Hydrogen Technologies Valley - our pan-regional ecosystem of innovation and infrastructure with the power to pioneer, commercialise and deliver hydrogen technologies at scale.

The Midlands is the manufacturing heartland of the UK - home to some of the UK’s and the world’s most iconic manufacturers and a vibrant supply chain. Through our world-leading universities and the highest number of Catapult Centres in the UK, we are fostering a rich environment of innovation, forging links between concept and commercialisation to drive regional economic prosperity.

By coordinating and connecting transformational opportunities through our region’s Hydrogen Technologies Valley, Midlands Engine partners are accelerating combined potential to deliver a wealth of benefits, from high quality job creation and economic growth, to progress against UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our partners WSP and the Midlands Engine Observatory have worked to quantify the impact we will drive through this strategy. In all of this, time is of the essence and so our strategy recommends ten clear actions that must be mobilised now to capitalise on our phenomenal strengths and clear potential.

The climate emergency means we must think differently - the problems of now and the future require different solutions. If the UK is to unlock the potential of hydrogen - and it must - the imperative for a focus on hydrogen technologies in the Midlands, as demonstrated in our strategy, is clear.