The United Kingdom has made rapid progress in decarbonising its power sector. However, decarbonising the entire UK economy poses far greater challenges. Hydrogen offers a potential solution to balancing variable wind energy production with electricity demand, allowing low-carbon electricity to decarbonise other sectors of the economy.
This briefing paper, produced by researchers from the IDLES Programme at Imperial College London, explores the potential for producing green hydrogen from wind energy in the UK. It uses geospatial modelling to map the potential production cost of green hydrogen across the UK and its territorial waters. The key conclusions underscore the potential benefits of pairing offshore wind with hydrogen production.