In the coming years, the production and use of hydrogen is going to be a significant contributor to the reduction of carbon emissions, whether it be to fuel HGVs, ships and buses or as a replacement for natural gas to decarbonise heat within industry.
In 2019, the UK produced around 27 TWh of hydrogen (Committee on Climate Change, May 2019). By 2050, and to achieve Net-Zero carbon, the National Grid estimates UK hydrogen demand will be between 152 TWh and 591 TWh, requiring somewhere between a 5- and 22-fold increase in production capacity.
Along with the projected growth in the hydrogen economy will come the need for increased diversification of hydrogen production, with a focus on emerging electrolytic and steam methane reforming with carbon capture to achieve Net-Zero ambitions. This rise in hydrogen production brings with it the requirement of operators to obtain and comply with the conditions of environmental permits.
Further details here.