Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to introduce monitoring and evaluation to determine the health and success of the UK hydrogen supply chain.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Developing domestic supply chains is a government priority, as demonstrated through our Industrial Strategy and comprehensive public financial institution offer which will provide direct support to UK hydrogen supply chains.
DESNZ collects supply chain data through the Hydrogen Allocation Rounds and welcomes the industry’s voluntary 50% local content ambition.
We are developing options to strengthen our approach to domestic supply chains in future allocation rounds and will be launching our HAR3 market engagement exercise setting out our proposals in due course.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to increase the levels of UK content used in hydrogen production projects as part of the upcoming Hydrogen Allocation Round 3.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We welcome the industry-led voluntary ambition of 50% UK local content for hydrogen across the value chain from 2030. We will work with industry to introduce monitoring and evaluation to determine the health and success of the supply chain in relation to the existing industry voluntary content ambition, which could include exploring stronger incentives around reporting.
We plan to publish a market engagement exercise setting out our proposals for HAR3 in due course.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he will publish the Hydrogen Allocation Round 3 market engagement exercise.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We plan to publish our Market Engagement on the Third Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR3), alongside the updated Hydrogen Strategy, in due course. This will seek feedback on the proposed design and delivery of HAR3 ahead of its intended launch in 2026, as set out in the Industrial Strategy.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the levels of UK-made content in the supply chains of Hydrogen Allocation Rounds 1 and 2; and what measures they will take to ensure higher levels are used in future rounds.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Developing domestic supply chains is a government priority, as demonstrated through our Industrial Strategy and comprehensive public financial institution offer which will provide direct support to UK hydrogen supply chains.
DESNZ collects supply chain data through the Hydrogen Allocation Rounds and welcomes the industry’s voluntary 50% local content ambition.
We are developing options to strengthen our approach to domestic supply chains in future allocation rounds and will be launching our HAR3 market engagement exercise setting out our proposals in due course.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the job-creation potential in the UK hydrogen and fuel cell technology manufacturing sector by 2050.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The sector is nascent but is expected to grow significantly; the global hydrogen market could exceed $1 trillion by 2050, with the UK well positioned to capture a substantial share.
We intend to publish a revised Hydrogen Strategy which will include the latest hydrogen jobs estimates and set out plans to optimise the job creation and economic benefits delivered by the UK hydrogen economy.
We will continue to engage with stakeholders across the hydrogen value chain; working together with industry and unions to identify actions that support the skills and workforce needs of the UK’s low carbon hydrogen economy.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure National Wealth Fund investment benefits increase research and development in the UK hydrogen and fuel cell technology manufacturing sector.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The NWF is the Government’s principal investor and policy bank with operational independence and a total £27.8bn to catalyse private investment in capital intensive projects. The NWF will commit at least £5.8bn over this Parliament to green hydrogen, carbon capture, ports, gigafactories and green steel sub-sectors.
To crowd investment into supply chains, the Government has announced a £1bn Clean Energy Supply chain fund aligned with the Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan and a £4bn British Business Bank Industrial Strategy Growth Capital initiative. DESNZ has also spent around £160m from the now complete £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio on hydrogen R&D.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the value of hydrogen and fuel cell exports reaches the target set out in the Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Industrial Strategy Clean Energy Industries sector plan notes the export market for UK manufacturers across hydrogen technologies could range between £800 million and £2.2 billion to 2030. The government has committed targeted support to boost exports of hydrogen technologies by showcasing UK capabilities through our global network and increasing access to international supply chains.
To support these opportunities, the UK's export credit agency, UK Export Finance aims to deliver £10bn in clean growth financing by 2029, alongside options to support overseas sales, including loan guarantees for foreign buyers, and working capital, insurance and bond support products to assist UK suppliers.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much funding has been allocated to clean energy and green industrial projects in West Yorkshire since July 2024; and what steps she is taking to ensure that Bradford benefits from those investments.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Since July 2024, over £52 billion of private investment has already been announced into the UK’s clean energy industries for projects and plans over the coming years.
Recent projects supported by Government include two district heat networks in West Yorkshire which have received funding from the Local Net Zero Accelerator programme, Hydrogen Allocation Round 1 benefitting projects like the Bradford Low Carbon Hydrogen project and GBE placing solar panels on NHS sites in Bradford and beyond.
As part of the Industrial Strategy, the Government is committed to devolving significant powers to Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) across England, giving them the tools they need to grow their sectoral clusters and improve the local business environment.
Local Growth Plans are a cornerstone of the place-based approach. These locally owned, 10-year strategies will set out how MCAs will use their devolved powers and funding to drive growth in their region.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of the National Wealth Fund to finance (1) new manufacturing facilities, and (2) the hydrogen and fuel cell technology manufacturing sector.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The NWF is the government’s principal investor and policy bank, with £27.8 billion of capital to mobilise investment in the growth and clean energy missions
The NWF prioritises clean energy, digital and technologies, advanced manufacturing, and transport sectors. The NWF will commit at least £5.8 billion over this Parliament to green hydrogen, carbon capture, ports, gigafactories and green steel sub-sectors.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2025 to Question 86322 on Charging Points and Hydrogen Fuelling Stations, what assessment her Department has made of the value for money of public funding allocated specifically to hydrogen refuelling infrastructure since April 2024.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All public funding for hydrogen refuelling infrastructure since April 2024 has been invested through our delivery partners Innovate UK, part of UKRI. Innovate UK assess value for money of applications submitted for research, development and demonstration projects as part of a standardised process. In addition, Innovate UK and the Department for Transport have commissioned an independent monitoring study to assess the outputs and early outcomes from all schemes included in the Innovate UK Land and Maritime Transport Portfolio from 2022. This study is expected to report in autumn 2026.
As part of the original business case for ZEHID, the programme as a whole had a VfM assessment of very high value for money noting that, as is typical for R&D projects, the final scope of the projects has changed. Ongoing evaluation activities are underway as part of the programme.