RAF 134/2223 Energy Innovation Needs Assessment: Hydrogen
The Energy Innovation Needs Assessments (EINAs) have been developed and updated to identify key innovation needs across the UK’s energy system, to provide an evidence base for the prioritisation of investment and support for clean energy innovation. This report summarises the analysis and findings from the EINAs across the hydrogen technology theme, focusing on autothermal and steam methane reforming, electrolysis, hydrogen transport, hydrogen turbines and depleted gas field storage technologies.
Clean hydrogen could play a significant role in the UK’s low carbon energy system, providing long duration energy storage and supporting the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industries and of hard to electrify transport sectors (heavy duty on and off-road vehicles, aviation, maritime and production of e-fuels).
Energy system modelling to assess the potential impact of innovation in key net zero technologies was conducted using UK TIMES.
Authors
The 2025 Energy Innovation Needs Assessment: Hydrogen was commissioned by DESNZ and delivered by a consortium led by the Carbon Trust, including Mott MacDonald, UCL and Pengwern Associates.
Carbon Trust was the lead technical author for the hydrogen technology theme report.
Views expressed in this report are those of the author and not necessarily those of the UK Government.