Learnings from the Hydrogen Scotland Conference

The SHINe team attended the Hydrogen Scotland Conference in October to celebrate achievements with building the hydrogen supply chain. It was great to see efforts to increase the production of and demand for low carbon hydrogen in Scotland.

The conference provided a unique opportunity to explore how the hydrogen economy is growing in Scotland and hear from those at the forefront of the industry. 

Upcoming opportunities

Low carbon hydrogen production capacity

The event gave us the opportunity to discuss how Scotland can become a global hub for low carbon hydrogen production. The event highlighted how Scotland is one of Europe’s largest offshore renewable energy zones, with abundant wind energy capacity. It also made clear that, combined with their ambitious net zero goals, Scotland can be a key exporter of green energy to Europe. 

Attendees at the conference also seemed driven to maintain high-value manufacturing jobs in Scotland and the UK, recognising the 300,000 jobs needed to decarbonise the UK’s energy supply.

German and Scottish collaboration

The collaboration between Germany and Scotland is another key takeaway from the conference. Germany’s high industrial energy demand but limited space for renewable energy production is in stark contrast to Scotland’s vast offshore territory and renewable energy potential. 

Ellen Vin Zitzewitz from the German Ministry for Economic Affairs spoke at the event, recognising the potential for Scotland to export low carbon hydrogen to Germany. Scotland is one of Germany’s five hydrogen import corridors, seeing Scotland as a key partner in their decarbonisation efforts.

Investment and supply chain potential

Important stakeholders and investors from across the supply chain attended the Hydrogen Scotland Conference. We got the chance to hear from Colin Pritchard, Sustainability Director at INEOS, one of the world’s largest chemical producers. He added that low carbon hydrogen is a leading candidate for decarbonising their Grangemouth facility. 

INEOS, along with other organisations at the event, also collaborated on innovative new solutions to help produce, supply and export hydrogen in Scotland and across the UK. Colin spoke about the exciting new products they are looking to manufacture at their Grangemouth site, including those that can be produced using hydrogen-based synthetic fuels. 

The challenge ahead

Pipeline to England

Despite the huge opportunities to turn Scotland into a global hydrogen hub, a suitable hydrogen pipeline to England must be established. Without this, the hydrogen economy in Scotland is limited in its ability to serve the high demand for low-carbon hydrogen in England. 

This is not only the case for the hydrogen sector. With the increasing focus on Scotland as a centre for renewable energy generation, the transmission network between Scotland and England will become increasingly important.

Standardisation

The Hydrogen Scotland Conference was a great example of the collaboration needed across the industry to accelerate hydrogen innovation. Attendees discussed the barriers facing hydrogen infrastructure development, central to which was the need for standardised practices.

There was discussion on the need for industry standardising of scopes, footprints and battery limits for hydrogen infrastructure projects. 

Providing an opportunity for businesses to deliver off-the-shelf solutions will result in lower costs and ultimately faster delivery times. 

What’s next for Scottish hydrogen

SHINe exists to enhance Scotland’s hydrogen landscape, fostering collaboration across the sector to grow the supply chain. We believe that encouraging innovation, offering guidance and sharing expertise is the best route to grow Scotland’s hydrogen economy. 

We are here to facilitate the kinds of collaboration seen at events like the Hydrogen Scotland Conference, showcasing Scotland’s diverse capabilities while helping new players integrate within the market.  

Visit the SHINe capability directory.