Hydrogen Energy Association to assess health of hydrogen sector

The Hydrogen Energy Association (HEA) has launched a survey inviting input from those working across the entire value chain to assess the health of the UK’s hydrogen sector.

Hydrogen is being positioned as a key enabler of the UK government’s goals to not only create thousands of new jobs and strengthen its economy, but also to help it to become a clean energy superpower and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The government last published a hydrogen strategy in 2021 (with an update in 2024) and is set to review and update another this autumn.

In the meantime, the HEA are collating data on business confidence, skills, investment and market barriers in the sector. It aims to provide an overview of how businesses across the value chain are feeling about the state of the sector, and to give government, policymakers and stakeholders insights.

It will include recommendations on steps the government can take to increase jobs, investment and decarbonisation opportunities. The survey will feed into The State of the Hydrogen Nation report, which the HEA aims to become an annual fixture within the industry.

Those who have been invited to share their insights include businesses working in production, storage and distribution, end use, technology and equipment manufacturing.

It follows a conference the HEA held in June, where the industry highlighted the importance of increasing investment, scale deployment and long-term policy certainty.

Speakers during the conference said the UK had to move faster, scale bigger, and invest smarter to avoid being left behind in the global hydrogen race.

Logistics UK’s Senior Policy Manager Stephanie Haszczyn said: “Hydrogen will likely play a role in decarbonising the UK’s logistics sector, particularly for heavy and long-distance freight.

“The Hydrogen Energy Association’s survey is a valuable opportunity to understand what’s needed to unlock investment and scale up deployment.

“With the right support, hydrogen can help keep goods moving while cutting carbon and strengthening the UK’s clean energy leadership.”