Hydrogen and Offshore in the UK

In the following interview, sector specialist Dr David Hodgson gives insights into exemplary hydrogen projects in the UK.

 

Renewable Energy Hamburg: What is your personal background? How did you get into touch with offshore wind? What exactly is your position in the Department of International Trade in the UK?

Dr David Hodgson: "As a Sector Specialist within Department for international Trade, I work with overseas companies to help them find business opportunities in the UK. I work across the energy sector, or offshore wind to biomass and smart energy, with a particular focus on attracting companies to the North of England or the Northern Powerhouse. My first entry into the low carbon energy sector was when developing grid-scale energy storage batteries and have been fascinated by the transformation we need to see ever since."

Renewable Energy Hamburg: Please describe some offshore projects already dealing with the production of hydrogen in the UK!

Dr David Hodgson: "There are some really interesting projects linking hydrogen to offshore wind. H100 Fife connects offshore wind electricity to low carbon heating via hydrogen production. The Gigastack project in the Humber region is performing a major engineering study to evaluate siting and technology options for GW-scale deployment. Coupled with this is the development of the safety and business cases for hydrogen in the UK’s energy mix."

Renewable Energy Hamburg: How will the renewable energy sector develop in the UK and in the rest of Europe?

Dr David Hodgson: "With a net zero target by 2050, renewable energy is a major focus for the UK. There are significant opportunities within offshore wind as we target 40 GW of capacity by 2030. Our transmission and distribution networks are being made-ready for increased use of renewable energy for power, heat and transport. Decarbonising heat in the UK is a greater challenge, and opportunity, than is electricity and a range of solutions will be deployed."

Please watch the video of our web seminar "Hydrogen and Offshore" in the series: "Offshore Trends 2020":

https://www.erneuerbare-energien-hamburg.de/de/service/video-datenbank.html