Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the governments of Australia and Japan about the production of hydrogen from lignite and the consequent CO2 emissions.

We are closely monitoring international hydrogen developments and participate in a range of international fora, including the International Partnership for Hydrogen for Fuel Cells in the Economy, Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerial. These offer opportunity to discuss other countries’ domestic hydrogen strategies in detail.

Countries have many different drivers for their interest in hydrogen, and the scale and application of hydrogen in national energy systems is likely to differ across the globe based on national circumstances

Officials from BEIS have engaged directly with counterparts in relevant Japanese and Australian ministries to understand their hydrogen ambitions, including hydrogen production pathways; and to share the UK approach.