Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Industry

Lord Patel Excerpts

Wednesday 19th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Wilson of Sedgefield (Lab)]

We are always open to reviewing what the Government do in all varieties of ways to do with tax. We will have to wait to see whether there is anything on that in the Budget next week. As I said, we are investing in the supply chain. We want to see energy produced in the most effective way. I think we will be in a position over the next couple of years, especially with the hydrogen strategy, which will be published in the next while, to show to the country and to the industry that we are taking this seriously. If anything needs to be reviewed, I am sure that we will be prepared to do that.

[Lord Patel (CB)]

My Lords, the 2021 Science and Technology Committee report made recommendations on hydrogen and fuel cells. One of the hydrogen recommendations was a strategy for the Government to produce hydrogen. I commend the Government on their commitment to produce 10 gigawatts of power through hydrogen, 50% through electrolytic hydrogen. Alongside that, the other recommendation was to develop combined heat and power fuel cells, both small-scale ones of several kilowatts and bigger cells of several megawatts, to go with electrolysed hydrogen. I wonder whether the Government have any strategy related to that.

[Lord Wilson of Sedgefield (Lab)]

On fuel cells in general, we can say that the industry has funded R&D for zero-emission technologies and transport through a number of programmes, including the zero-emission HGV and infrastructure demonstrator programme. Nearly 300 zero-emission HGVs have been produced and there are 73 planned infrastructure locations, while battery electric HGVs are currently available for purchase, with over 35 models on the market. We are doing a lot in this area, but I will take into consideration what else the noble Lord has mentioned and write to him.