In association with National Hydrogen Summit

National Hydrogen Summit

Leeds | 27-28 June 2019

Event sponsors

In association with

Report and Recommendations

National Hydrogen Summit Leeds | 27-28 June 2019

The National Hydrogen Summit was organised by the University of Leeds and Leeds City Council to explore the role of hydrogen in answering the decarbonisation challenge.

The Summit brought together key stakeholders including industry, academia, regulators and policymakers for the first time to identify the key challenges and opportunities in a potential move to a hydrogen economy and to hear more about:

• The pioneering hydrogen technology programmes already underway• The hydrogen journey from production to end use for heat, transport and

industrial processes• The opportunities and challenges faced in order to develop a global

hydrogen economy

The two-day event featured a mix of keynote speeches and panel discussions featuring leading voices from across the sector. It also dedicated significant time to detailed discussions in smaller breakout sessions and workshops. The workshops were asked to consider the following questions:

• What are the key challenges to the implementation of a hydrogen transition?

• How do we maximise the social and economic benefits of a hydrogen transition?

• What are the key actions for stakeholders to contribute to a hydrogen transition?

• What are the key messages to Government for near term policy requirements?


Conclusions and key recommendationsEach workshop summarised the discussion as key messages recorded on cards. These were used as the basis for developing the main conclusions and key recommendations from the Summit, as outlined below.

The importance of long term, joined up energy policy stability

It is clear that for hydrogen to deliver significant benefits to the decarbonisation of heating, transport and industrial systems, conversion will have to be a comprehensive process. It will not succeed if implementation is attempted in a piecemeal manner. Converting national infrastructure such as the gas grid, providing hydrogen vehicle refuelling stations, changing industrial fuel consumption to hydrogen or deploying carbon capture and storage are all significant engineering initiatives with high capital implications. The conditions to promote this type of large-scale innovation can only occur in a stable, long-term policy environment that needs to overcome short-term political considerations.

A positive vision for hydrogen reflecting environmental, social and economic benefits

Hydrogen can play a transformative role in the UK energy system. If delivered well, there is the potential for substantive environmental, social and economic benefit. It is important that further work is done to understand the potential impact of hydrogen and to develop this positive narrative in order to ensure a just transition with positive buy in from the public.


Support for hydrogen research and innovation

Although much of the technology that hydrogen conversion relies upon already exists, it is clear that there is plenty of scope for improvement and innovation both in technical engineering terms as well as in social and economic development. The challenge that ‘doing nothing’ is no longer a viable option in the face of the need for wholesale economic decarbonisation, there is an important challenge to galvanise the research effort needed in order to develop the energy systems of the future and to do so in a way that wins public support. The Summit identified the clear need for further research and innovation to support the role of hydrogen in the energy system.

A whole energy systems approach

There is a recognition that the primary technical challenges associated with the hydrogen economy are those that relate to systems integration. Many fundamentals are well understood and much of the required technology already exists at some level of maturity. An array of relevant engineering research, design expertise and tacit knowledge is readily transferable from the fossil-based energy, process and other industries. Nevertheless, if hydrogen is to fulfil its potential and make the transformational contribution to the decarbonisation of heat, an entire infrastructure, and supporting industrial and economic eco-system, must be built from a near zero baseline. This is a whole systems agenda and must take into account the economic implications, environmental impacts and key interactions with the wider energy system.

Support for demonstrators, both on a large industrial and domestic scale to help create investable opportunities

There was a clear message from industry representatives at the Summit that large scale demonstrators are now needed to prove the technology at scale. These will help start to reduce costs and populate the financial models that will make the hydrogen economy a more investible proposition. Clear policies, regulation and funding models are needed for hydrogen to be adopted as a route to decarbonising industry.


Government funded infrastructure for hydrogen transport

Hydrogen has significant potential to support the decarbonisation of large parts of the transport system and offers a future that works in combination with electrification. Much of the technology required to use hydrogen in vehicles exists, and the Summit featured an exhibition of existing hydrogen vehicles from Arval and Hyundai. The breakout session on hydrogen transport identified the need for clear support from Government in establishing the refuelling infrastructure that can support the implementation of hydrogen vehicles.

Development of UK supply chains

There will be significant changes to the UK energy system in the coming decades and, whatever role hydrogen plays in that evolution, lessons must be learnt from previous transitions. This learning must relate to both the energy system and to impacts upon other industries to ensure that we develop the skilled workforce and industrial supply chain required to benefit from the considerable economic opportunity associated with the hydrogen economy.

A skills, training and quality jobs pipeline

Hydrogen conversion presents a major opportunity for new employment and skills development. Whether it is concerned with reskilling existing fossil fuel dependant jobs (such as gas fitters, engineers and motor mechanics) or creating new roles, particularly in providing or repurposing existing infrastructure, hydrogen conversion could be a significant economic benefit for the UK, with important export and intellectual property potential.


ENERGY COMPANIES

INVESTORS

LARGE MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING COMPANIES

LOCAL & NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

OTHER

THIRD SECTOR

EMERGENCY SERVICES

UNIVERSITIES & RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS

SMEs

Who attended?The Summit was attended by a wide range of delegates, drawn from multiple sectors and geographic regions of the UK. Both days of the Summit were oversubscribed.


Summit programme and speakers

Day 1 Research and Innovation Opportunities

The presentations covered recent and on-going projects and specific challenges faced both by industry and other stakeholders. It also identified the areas of research and innovation required to implement the transition in a fair and equitable way.

Welcome and introduction

Dr Keith MacLean OBE, Managing Director, Providence Policy chaired the morning session with welcomes and introductions from Cllr Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council and Ian Shortland, Director of Research & Innovation, Integration and Advancement, University of Leeds.

Cllr Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council welcomed delegates to Leeds and provided an overview of the scale of the challenge posed by the target to decarbonise the country by 2050. Leeds has a particular interest in hydrogen having been identified as the first city in the world to potentially switch from using natural gas to heat people’s homes and businesses and replace it with hydrogen. Cllr Blake set out the economic opportunities and social questions posed by hydrogen conversion and also set a challenge to the industrial representatives to improve the opportunities for women in a future hydrogen economy.


Setting the scene and key challenges

• Jon Saltmarsh, Head of Technical Energy Analysis, BEIS• Mark Neller, Director, Programme and Project Management, ARUP• Mark Horsley, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Gas Networks

Plenary session - Hydrogen research and innovation in energy systems

• Katharine Dunn, Senior Portfolio Manager, UKRI • Prof Phil Blythe, Newcastle University/Chief Scientific Adviser, DfT • Prof Peter Taylor, Chair in Sustainable Energy Systems, University

of Leeds • Sikander Mahmood, Future Networks Project Manager, Cadent • Oliver Lancaster, Future of Energy Projects, Wales & West Utilities

Scenario building workshops

The Summit brought together a wide variety of stakeholders from across industry, government, academia and civil society to visualise the role of hydrogen in the energy system in 2030, identify the critical uncertainties that could impact on it and to develop scenarios for a successful transition.


Day 2 Policy and Implementation

The second day of the Summit built on the outputs from the first day and to look at how to ensure that the policy and regulatory environment required to successfully implement projects is in place. A public display of hydrogen vehicles provided a practical focus for the summit.

Welcome and Introduction

• Phil Purnell, Professor of Materials and Structures, University of Leeds • Keynote Address: David Smith, Chair of the Energy Networks Association• Keynote Address: Rachel Reeves MP, Chair, Business Energy

and Industrial Strategy select committee

UK Projects Showcase

• Chair: Matt Hindle, Head of Gas, Energy Networks Association • Keith Owen, Head of Systems Development and Energy Strategy, Northern

Gas Networks • Mark Wheeldon, Hydrogen Programme Manager, SGN • Prof Joe Howe, Executive Director and Professor of the Thornton Energy

Institute • Mark Lewis, Technology & Innovation Manager, Tees Valley Combined

Authority • Tony Green, Head of Engineering & Asset Management, National Grid


Panel discussion – the role of Local Authorities, Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships

• Chair: Prof Simon Pringle, Chair of Green Economy Panel, Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership

• Councillor Lisa Mulherin, Executive Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainable Development, Leeds City Council

• Dr Gesa Reiss, Innovation Manager, AURA at the University of Hull • Mark Lewis, Technology & Innovation Manager, Tees Valley Combined Authority.

Conclusions from each workshop were captured and displayed during the final drinks reception, hosted by Alex Sobel MP, Vice-Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hydrogen.

Workshop Sessions covering:

1. Hydrogen for heat

2. Hydrogen production & carbon capture and storage

3. Hydrogen transport

4. Industrial use

5. Energy systems

6. Hydrogen house of the future

7. Public perceptions of hydrogen8. Policy, economics and global

opportunities

Interviews with a range of key stakeholders on subjects ranging from the role of hydrogen in the transport system to maximising economic benefits of a transition in the energy system are available to watch online at: NationalHydrogenSummit.co.uk

Energy Leeds

University of [email protected]/energytwitter.com/EnergyLeeds

In association with National Hydrogen Summit

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