By Anders Lorenzen

The first three hydrogen production contracts in the UK have been signed.

With a combined capacity of 31.8 megawatts (MW), three projects are now moving ahead, and the UK will have its first hydrogen facilities. 

A key component of the government’s clean energy strategy, these hydrogen projects will contribute to emissions reductions as well as regional economic development and a key component in meeting the government’s target of 10 gigawatts (GW) of hydrogen by 2030.

The projects; Cromarty, Whitelee and West Wales are the first confirmed projects in a pipeline of 11 hydrogen projects in the first phase of hydrogen development. 

Largest in Europe

The projects are not only the first hydrogen projects at a commercial scale in the UK but also the most significant single allocation of electrolytic hydrogen projects in Europe. 

Hydrogen is earmarked to play a critical role in sectors that are hard to decarbonise particularly heavy industries such as steel and cement.

The UK’s Energy Secretary Ed Miliband hailed the milestone: “Signing the UK’s first hydrogen production contracts marks the official launch of our low-carbon hydrogen economy – a key step towards energy security and a new era of clean electricity. These hydrogen projects bring substantial economic benefits for our industrial heartlands, with more than £400m in private investment committed by 2026, creating 700 jobs and driving economic growth.”

The remaining eight contracts in the first hydrogen phase are expected to be signed early on in 2025.