Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has carried out a cost benefit analysis for hydrogen fuel cells using deoxygenated air as a fire extinguisher; and whether sufficient fuel cells could be produced domestically.

Although I am not aware of any work on this in the department, a 2001 study by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency indicated that deoxygenated air would be a less effective extinguisher than other extinguishing agents, although neither a detailed cost benefit analysis, nor an environmental impact assessment, were performed.

The UK has a robust fuel cell manufacturing industry, supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre which is joint funded by the Government and the automative industry, so would be well positioned to take advantage of developments in fuel cell technology.