FLYNN BECOMES SNP COMMONS LEADER - GOVERNMENT DROPS TRANSPORT BILL - HYDROGEN SET TO BENEFIT FROM NEW UK-US ENERGY PARTNERSHIP

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Stephen Flynn, MP for Aberdeen South - an area very keen on hydrogen - was this week crowned the leader of the SNP’s Westminster contingent following the resignation of Ian Blackford MP. Flynn, who has criticised SNP Leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the past over their differences on North Sea oil and gas extraction, was the overwhelming favourite after Blackford was forced out. On Wednesday, Flynn attacked both Labour and the Tories in an impressive PMQs debut as SNP Commons leader, buoyed by the timely release of an Ipsos Mori poll which put support for Scottish independence and his party at 56 and 51 per cent respectively.?

Why this matters:?Flynn has been a consistent, vocal advocate for hydrogen from the backbenches since entering Parliament in 2019, promoting its potential for both his constituency and across Scotland. He has, in particular, regularly criticised the Government over the decision not to progress the Acorn project, such as saying in the Commons “the Government’s completely illogical decision not to progress with the Acorn project causes us a great deal of consternation, given the potential of CCUS”. In May 2022, Flynn?wrote an article for Politics Home?on energy policy, which included a lot on hydrogen - it’s worth a read.?

*** A MESSAGE FROM BP?***?Teesside has the potential to become the hydrogen capital of the UK. bp HyGreen Teesside project could help fuel the development of Teesside into the UK’s first major hydrogen transport hub. Find out more about bp’s plans to help unleash the region’s low carbon hydrogen potential in?this video.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper this week told a meeting of the Transport Select Committee that a long-awaited Transport Bill, which had featured in this year’s Queen’s Speech, will not be put forward in the current parliamentary session. At a similar meeting in October, Harper’s predecessor Anne-Marie Trevelyan had warned the Committee the Bill could be trimmed to “a narrow Bill around the future of transport technologies” that would address a number of urgent issues. Now it seems there will be no Bill at all, owing to the government’s legislative timetable having been “transformed” by Covid and the war in Ukraine, according to Harper.?

Why this matters:?The Transport Bill was hailed as “the biggest of its kind in three decades” by the then-Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in May. And whilst any Transport Bill would not be as critical as the Energy Bill, which is returning to the Lords for its Committee Stage debates on Monday, the dropping of the Bill entirely feels like a missed opportunity to enable an acceleration of the roll-out of hydrogen transport options - recognising too the demand for hydrogen from vehicles can be a major stimulant for the production of hydrogen this decade.?

The UK and US governments have this week established a new, bilateral partnership to bolster energy security and accelerate the transition to renewables, with a strong emphasis on hydrogen. Dubbed the “UK-US Energy Security and Affordability Partnership”, the initiative will see the two nations work together “to reduce global dependence on Russian energy exports, stabilise energy markets and step up collaboration on energy efficiency, nuclear and renewables”. On hydrogen, the nations will collaborate to establish global exports and imports of hydrogen and hydrogen technology, including through the development of compatible certification schemes, the exchange of information, experience and expertise, and “the acceleration of the creation of hydrogen hubs in the UK and US through industrial engagement in hard-to-abate sectors”.?

Why this matters:?Despite a comparable lack of hydrogen signals from UK government ministers since Rishi Sunak became PM, it is encouraging to see hydrogen feature so prominently in the UK’s foreign policy this week. The new UK-US energy partnership highlights the government’s explicit recognition of the role of hydrogen in securing national energy supplies, bringing the UK into line with both the US and EU, which struck a similar energy security deal nine months ago. As energy security continues to eclipse net zero on the government’s list of priorities, stakeholders in the UK’s hydrogen sector should reflect this pivot on messaging in their engagement with government ministers and civil servants.