Empowering The Future
Empowering The Future: A Strategic Skills Plan for the UK Hydrogen Economy highlights the scale of the challenges the industry faces in ensuring the right skills are in place to support its continued growth and long-term success.
A collaboration with the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC), the Hydrogen Skills Alliance (HSA) is committed to building a skilled workforce necessary to support the growth and development of the UK hydrogen sector. Ensuring employers can access the talent needed to compete, innovate and grow as we meet the demands of a changing energy landscape and deliver our net zero ambitions. The HSA will be fully inclusive inviting representatives from industry, academia, research, industrial clusters, government, skills bodies and others with a genuine interest in ensuring that the UK has the necessary people and skills to support the move to a hydrogen-fuelled economy as part of the move to a low carbon future.
Maximising the Opportunity that Hydrogen Brings
Our members work in collaboration to:
- Map the existing hydrogen skills landscape to create a live database of skills provision available to all
- Identify a prioritised list of hydrogen skills challenge areas that will enable foresighting
- Undertake a series of foresighting cycles to define and map the required skills capabilities
- Quantify the skills demand based on known requirements and build in future requirements as they emerge
- Create a skills framework to support pathway and curriculum development
Hydrogen and Our Low Carbon Future
Hydrogen is essential to delivering net zero in the UK. It is a clean, low-carbon energy source used in various applications, from heating homes and buildings to powering vehicles and heavy machinery. With hydrogen, we can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and move towards a greener, more sustainable future.
Production
Hydrogen can be produced through various methods, including steam methane reforming, electrolysis, and biomass gasification. Green and low-carbon hydrogen production methods are essential for reducing carbon emissions and building a sustainable energy future. Green hydrogen, produced through electrolysis using electricity from renewable sources such as wind or solar power, has zero carbon emissions.
Meanwhile, low-carbon hydrogen can be produced through a variety of methods, including steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage technology or through the gasification of biomass with carbon capture. The development and implementation of both green hydrogen and low carbon hydrogen production methods are critical in reducing carbon emissions and transitioning towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy system.
Meanwhile, low-carbon hydrogen can be produced through a variety of methods, including steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage technology or through the gasification of biomass with carbon capture. The development and implementation of both green hydrogen and low carbon hydrogen production methods are critical in reducing carbon emissions and transitioning towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy system.
Storage
Hydrogen is a very light and low-density gas, which makes it difficult to store and transport.
There are three primary ways to store hydrogen: compressed gas storage, liquid hydrogen storage, and solid-state storage. Compressed gas storage involves compressing hydrogen gas to high pressures and storing it in high-pressure tanks. Liquid hydrogen storage involves cooling hydrogen gas to very low temperatures, where it becomes a liquid that can be stored in insulated tanks. Solid-state storage involves storing hydrogen in a solid material, such as metal hydrides or carbon nanotubes.
There are three primary ways to store hydrogen: compressed gas storage, liquid hydrogen storage, and solid-state storage. Compressed gas storage involves compressing hydrogen gas to high pressures and storing it in high-pressure tanks. Liquid hydrogen storage involves cooling hydrogen gas to very low temperatures, where it becomes a liquid that can be stored in insulated tanks. Solid-state storage involves storing hydrogen in a solid material, such as metal hydrides or carbon nanotubes.
Distribution
Once hydrogen is produced and stored, it must be transported to where it will be used. This can be done through pipelines, trucks, or ships. Pipelines are the most efficient and cost-effective method for transporting large quantities of hydrogen over long distances. At the same time, trucks and ships are better suited for smaller quantities and shorter distances.
Usage
Hydrogen can be used in various applications, including transportation, power generation, and industrial processes. In transportation, hydrogen can be used in fuel cell vehicles, which convert hydrogen into electricity to power an electric motor. In power generation, hydrogen can be used in gas turbines or fuel cells to produce electricity. Hydrogen can also be used in industrial processes, such as refining petroleum and producing fertilisers.
Hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in our transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future. Its production, storage, distribution, and usage will continue to be refined and improved as we work towards a more efficient and cost-effective hydrogen economy.
Hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in our transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future. Its production, storage, distribution, and usage will continue to be refined and improved as we work towards a more efficient and cost-effective hydrogen economy.
Hydrogen Workforce Assessment
With an estimated future workforce of more than 90,000 people, the Hydrogen Workforce Assessment outlines the requirement for collaborative action to deliver the skills needed for growth. Download the executive summary below.
Workforce AssessmentSkills for the Hydrogen Transition
The group will convene those involved in identifying, articulating and addressing the skills and workforce needs of industry in relation to the hydrogen economy (“Make it, move it, store it, use it”). It will act as a forum for those involved in hydrogen where skills capacity and capability requirements are scoped, foresighted and articulated, where good practice is shared and where requirements for policy interventions are articulated.
Hydrogen Skills Alliance Community
The HSA convenes industry, academia, research organisations, industrial clusters, government, skills bodies, and all others with a genuine interest in collaborating to ensure that the UK has the necessary people to support the move to a hydrogen-fuelled economy as part of the move to a low carbon future.
The Current Landscape
The UK hydrogen landscape is rapidly evolving, with the government setting ambitious targets to develop a world-leading hydrogen economy. The UK government has committed to producing 10 GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 and aims to have hydrogen power providing half of the UK's energy needs by 2050.
To achieve this, the government is investing in a range of hydrogen initiatives, including research and development, demonstration projects, and infrastructure development.
The UK hydrogen skills landscape is also evolving in response to the growing demand for skilled workers. The government has launched several initiatives to support the development of a skilled workforce in the hydrogen sector. The Green Jobs Delivery Group is focused on developing apprenticeships to train the next generation, including hydrogen workers.
To achieve this, the government is investing in a range of hydrogen initiatives, including research and development, demonstration projects, and infrastructure development.
The UK hydrogen skills landscape is also evolving in response to the growing demand for skilled workers. The government has launched several initiatives to support the development of a skilled workforce in the hydrogen sector. The Green Jobs Delivery Group is focused on developing apprenticeships to train the next generation, including hydrogen workers.
Identifying and Addressing Skills Needs for the Hydrogen Economy
The Hydrogen Skills Alliance convenes those involved in identifying, articulating, and addressing the skills needs of industry in relation to the hydrogen economy. The group provides a forum where skills capacity and capability requirements are scoped, foresighted and articulated, and where good practice is shared.
The HSA identifies challenge areas for future skills foresighting and sets up challenge groups to address foresighting activity.
The alliance supports the development of a hydrogen skills framework and provides a repository for knowledge and information from across the research and skills community.
The group works to ensure that the education and skills system supports the needs of employers through the design and availability of requisite training, resources, and skills infrastructure.
The HSA identifies challenge areas for future skills foresighting and sets up challenge groups to address foresighting activity.
The alliance supports the development of a hydrogen skills framework and provides a repository for knowledge and information from across the research and skills community.
The group works to ensure that the education and skills system supports the needs of employers through the design and availability of requisite training, resources, and skills infrastructure.
free Training Modules
1. hydrogen fundamentals
This module aims to give you a basic understanding of hydrogen, including its production, transportation, storage methods, key properties, and significance in a low-carbon economy. Additionally, it will highlight the potential applications of hydrogen. This module is crucial as it lays the foundations for the other modules in the Hydrogen Awareness program.
The purpose of this module is to provide you with a basic understanding of hydrogen.
The purpose of this module is to provide you with a basic understanding of hydrogen.
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2. Hydrogen production
Hydrogen production is still a relatively new and evolving technology despite its many benefits. There are many different methods for producing hydrogen, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The modules explains the difference between the two main hydrogen production methods.
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3. Hydrogen Storage And Distribution
Explain why hydrogen needs to be distributed and/or stored
List the 4 key forms in which hydrogen can be distributed and/or stored
Discuss advantages & disadvantages of each of the forms of hydrogen
Discuss the infrastructure required to realize the worldwide potential of hydrogen
List the 4 key forms in which hydrogen can be distributed and/or stored
Discuss advantages & disadvantages of each of the forms of hydrogen
Discuss the infrastructure required to realize the worldwide potential of hydrogen
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4. Hydrogen Energy Use: Domestic and Industrial
Compare H₂ with natural gas on emissions and suitability in various environments. Review both industrial and domestic heating requirements and hydrogen's suitability in these environments. Discuss how hydrogen fits into the decarbonisation strategy of the UK's industrial clusters.View details
5. Hydrogen Energy Use: Feedstock
Hydrogen is currently a critical part of the world’s industrial supply chains, enabling steel, plastics, glass, and many critical chemicals to be produced. As we move away from fossil fuels, hydrogen will be an important part of humanity’s ability to use energy. This course explores hydrogen as a feedstock for industrial uses.
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6. Hydrogen Energy Use: Transport
Identify the two key approaches to using hydrogen as a fuel source, fuel cell and source of combustion. Analyse the application of hydrogen as a fuel source in different transport contexts to include the pros and cons. Describe the infrastructure requirements for a robust hydrogen network for transport in the UK. Evaluate the challenges facing the adoption of hydrogen in the UK at present to include technological, societal and environmental implications.
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Join the Hydrogen Skills Alliance today and become a part of the low-carbon future
Together, we can build the skills and knowledge necessary to accelerate the transition to hydrogen and a more sustainable future for all.
