Green Hydrogen for Scotland: Why Is It So Important?

Following the Green Hydrogen for Scotland event this week, Quadrant Smart reflects on the key message, unpicking why green hydrogen is so important for decarbonising the Scottish public sector.

Scotland has very strict, challenging and ambitious climate change targets. With the goal to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, with a 70% reduction by 2030, the country is determined to explore every avenue when it comes to

Stuart McKay, Scottish Government

decarbonising the public sector.

To share expertise in the green hydrogen industry, Quadrant hosted the ‘Green Hydrogen for Scotland’ event in partnership with ScottishPower.

Head of Hydrogen Policy for the Scottish Government, Stuart McKay, and Barry Carruthers, Hydrogen Director for ScottishPower, joined the discussion to share their insights into the industry.

Putting a focus on the Scottish Governments Hydrogen Assessment report, Stuart explained it was their “biggest piece of work.”

The report highlighted how Scotland’s abundant natural resources, skills and supply chain offer the potential for large scale production of renewable hydrogen.

Furthermore, the report shows that the scale-up of hydrogen power could also have an important role in generating new economic opportunities in Scotland.

Echoing Stuarts message concerning the importance of green hydrogen to decarbonising the Scottish public sector Barry highlighted flagship hydrogen projects.

“From our [ScottishPower’s] perspective, this is a really important thing, aspect and issue for everyone to understand is where hydrogen makes sense and where it doesn’t,” Barry said.

Barry Carruthers, ScottishPower

Encouraging suppliers to get involved with the scale-up of green hydrogen power, Barry said: “We need to accelerate to a pace which gives the entire sector some credibility to show that it is a proper asset. The challenge for us all, including myself, is speed and scale – that is about building stuff in the next 12 to 24 months.”

“[To do this] we’re trying to engage as much as we can with different suppliers and different project partners,” he continued.

Keen to support companies such as ScottishPower as they look to accelerate projects in the coming years, Stuart explained the Scottish Government are doing all they can, in terms of policy, to make this transition as easy as possible.

Stuart rounded up the event saying: “From the government side, we need to make sure the regulatory framework is fit for purpose, we need to make sure the planning regime is able to cope with the pace we see going forward and the planning officials are informed about hydrogen and how it works.”

To watch the event, follow the on-demand link here.

If you want to read more about ScottishPower’s work in hydrogen, read our recent interview with Barry here.