House of Commons Hydrogen Week Roundtable Highlights South Wales and South West Opportunity

Image caption from left to right: Sadik Al-Hassan MP, The Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP, Secretary of State for Business and Trade and Dr James Courtney, Lecturer in Hydrogen at Swansea University and GW-SHIFT Co-Investigator and Production Theme Lead.

As part of Hydrogen Week, leaders from industry, academia, local government and Parliament gathered at the House of Commons for a high-level GW-SHIFT roundtable focused on accelerating the hydrogen economy across South Wales and the South West. Hosted by Sadik Al-Hassan MP, the event explored how the region can grow its leadership as a hub for clean hydrogen production, storage, innovation and industrial decarbonisation. 

Opening the event, Sadik Al-Hassan MP highlighted both the opportunity and urgency facing the sector:

“I believe in hydrogen, not as a distant aspiration, but as a real and growing part of our energy future, one where this region, the South West and South Wales, has every reason to be at the forefront. What makes today particularly meaningful is bringing together industry, universities, civic partners and policymakers in the same room. When that kind of alignment comes together, that’s where real momentum begins. I’m here not just to guide this discussion, but to understand where Parliament can genuinely help remove barriers and support the sector’s growth.”

Karen Brooks, Deputy Director of GW-SHIFT, outlined the region’s unique strengths and the importance of collaboration across sectors:

“GW-SHIFT brings together the hydrogen activities across South Wales and the South West, and together they provide one of the most powerful opportunities for jobs and growth in the UK. The region has the renewable energy resources, industrial capability, ports, salt cavern storage potential and research expertise needed to accelerate the use of hydrogen, providing much-needed energy security whilst decarbonising many sectors.”

The discussion explored both the opportunities and challenges facing the energy sector, with delegates calling for clearer national policy direction, faster infrastructure delivery and greater certainty to support investment and long-term growth. Speakers also highlighted the importance of skills development, innovation and stronger regional collaboration between industry, government and academia.

The roundtable also showcased the powerful collaborative ecosystem already established across the region. Universities and industry leaders highlighted ongoing innovation in hydrogen production, transport, storage and industrial applications, alongside growing efforts to build the skilled workforce needed to support long-term growth. The discussion highlighted the need for localised energy production and supply, recognising that each region has different needs and abilities when it comes to fuel.

Following the roundtable discussion, GW-SHIFT hosted a drop-in session, where visiting MPs had the opportunity to experience hydrogen technology first-hand through a hydrogen-powered bike demonstration. Proving to be a highly popular attraction, the bike offers a hands-on look at how clean electricity can be split into hydrogen and oxygen using an electrolyser, with hydrogen then stored and used when energy demand is high. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade, The Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP, was fascinated by the demonstration and how this was providing growth for both small and large businesses within the region. Among the multiple MPs and Peers to try out the GW-SHIFT hydrogen bike, House of Commons Deputy Speaker Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP also joined the demonstration session.

The event concluded with a shared commitment to continue strengthening collaboration between government, industry, academia and regional partners to unlock hydrogen’s full economic and decarbonisation potential.

GW-SHIFT convenes partners across South Wales and the South West to support the development of a thriving hydrogen economy capable of delivering clean growth, industrial resilience and energy security for the UK.

Get involved, see GW-SHIFT’S range of webinars, join the innovation platform and watch our podcast series.