The most comprehensive picture to date on how to create a hydrogen economy has been set out in a report for Milford Haven – the UK’s largest energy port.
The Milford Haven:Energy Kingdom – System Architecture report highlights policy, regulation, markets, technologies and interoperability – with other energy vectors such as natural gas and electricity – to enable hydrogen to form an integrated part of a smart local energy system.
For an industrial cluster that can handle 30% of total UK gas demand, is home to Europe’s largest gas power station powering 3.5 million homes and businesses, has ambitions to build 90MW of floating offshore wind, supports 5,000 jobs and injects £324m to the Pembrokeshire economy – Milford Haven has staked a claim to be at the forefront of the Net Zero transition.
Energy Systems Catapult has delivered the report, with support from over 40 organisations, as part of the Prospering from the Energy Revolution programme funded by InnovateUk.
The report explores future energy system architectures, that combine technology, the interconnectivity between them and data; with markets, trading platforms and policies; with business models and defined organisational governance.
The aim of the designs is to provide:
• The basis for a roadmap for the next phases of development and implementation,
• Confidence to innovators and investors in the future longevity of investments in hydrogen and,
• A common basis of understanding for all stakeholders wishing to contribute to the Milford Haven:Energy Kingdom.
Richard Halsey, Capabilities Director at Energy Systems Catapult and Member of the Government’s Hydrogen Advisory Council said:
“The Net Zero commitments set out by Government for the next decade, include amongst other things – the creation of four low carbon industrial clusters and two carbon capture clusters, 40GWs of offshore wind and phasing out the sale of fossil fuel cars.
“Making these commitments a reality requires a whole-system approach and the integration of different parts of the energy system including electricity, natural gas, liquid fuels, and hydrogen as important new energy vector.
“This work For Milford Haven in collaboration with Pembrokeshire County Council, Wales and West Utilities, ARUP and many others provides an important step in understanding the underlying structures required to make investment and drive innovation in hydrogen production, distribution and use an integrated part of smarter local energy systems targeting for Net Zero.”
