Scotland's hydrogen ambition

Scotland aims to become a net zero nation by 2045, which would end its contribution to climate change within a single generation. Its goal is to become a renewable energy powerhouse. 

The country is home to fast-growing hydrogen infrastructure and abundant renewable energy resource. This makes it an ideal location for hydrogen investment. 

The Scottish electrolytic hydrogen production market is estimated at 126 terawatt hours. The goal is to produce 25 gigawatts of renewable or low carbon hydrogen by 2045. 

Scotland has extensive experience in advancing new energy technologies, and over 60 years of transferable skills and expertise as a global energy hub and innovation leader. 

Scotland is also creating 13 Regional Hydrogen Hubs as part of its plan to continue to lead the way in this sector. These hubs will focus on the whole hydrogen life cycle, including production, storage, distribution, end use, and export to the UK and mainland Europe. 

What are Scotland’s hydrogen capabilities?

Scotland’s hydrogen capabilities extend across multiple sectors. 

Hydrogen production 

Scotland has huge renewable energy resource and is one of Europe’s largest offshore renewable energy zones. This makes it a promising hub for large-scale hydrogen projects and could enable the country to become a key exporter of green energy to Europe.

Hydrogen electrolyser manufacturing

Scotland has a rapidly growing range of hydrogen projects, expertise and infrastructure. This creates greater need for electrolysers, and the Scottish manufacturing sector is ready to support this demand. 

Hydrogen storage, conversion and distribution

Offshore capacity will become a huge opportunity for greater investment in Scottish hydrogen. Scotland  is close to CO2 storage resources, natural gas supplies, existing oil and gas infrastructure, and technical expertise. 

End-user appliances

Scotland plans to blend up to 20% hydrogen into its gas distribution network, which can be done without changing existing end user appliances. The development of innovative end-user appliances will be needed to support the transition to 100% hydrogen in the future.

Exporting hydrogen

Global demand for hydrogen is expected to grow steadily over the coming decades. Scotland is in a prime position to become a top exporter to serve the expanding global market.