The UK government’s Scottish Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry to consider hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Scotland.

The inquiry will explore what further support is needed for hydrogen, how to enact a ‘just transition’ for the oil and gas sector and how to ensure the necessary skills are in place.

It will also explore which market mechanism should be used to incentivise investment in producing low-cost green and blue hydrogen, and what infrastructure is needed for hydrogen to meet demand from heavy transport and buses across Scotland.

“In this inquiry, we will be considering the role Scotland can play in a hydrogen economy, and how the UK government can support a just transition for Scotland’s oil and gas sector,” says committee chair Peter Wishart.

Separate strategies

Scotland has its own hydrogen strategy but is largely reliant on funding from Westminster to support large demonstration projects.

“We will be considering the role Scotland can play in a hydrogen economy” Wishart, Scottish Affairs Committee

As part of a ten-point plan outlined in December, the UK government announced it would provide £1bn ($1.4bn) for the development of four industrial CCS clusters that would support blue hydrogen projects. Two clusters were selected to be awarded funding before 2025—Hynet North West and the East Coast Cluster.

Scotland’s Acorn development was deemed a ‘reserve’ project, despite the opinion of many in the industry that it was best placed to receive funding from the first tranche. Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote to UK prime minister Boris Johnson calling for him to award the Acorn project track-one status “without delay”, although he has not yet done so.

The Scottish Affairs Committee is a UK parliamentary body that scrutinises the expenditure and policies of the Scotland Office—which administrates the non-devolved powers of Scotland on behalf of Westminster. The committee is inviting written submissions by midday on Friday 1 March.