The UK hydrogen sector has issued a united call for rapid investment, scaled deployment and long-term policy certainty following the Hydrogen Energy Association (HEA) Conference at the QEII Centre in Westminster.
The event marked the first HEA conference under new Chief Executive Dr Emma Guthrie, who opened with a rallying call to industry and government: “Today’s theme – Invest, Innovate, Implement – reflects the real-world momentum behind hydrogen energy. This isn’t a future ambition – hydrogen is happening now.”
The conference welcomed a keynote address from Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Industry, who told delegates that hydrogen sits at the heart of two of the government’s most important missions: building a stronger economy and achieving energy independence. She outlined progress under the Hydrogen Allocation Round scheme and praised the 27 projects approved under HAR2, while acknowledging the pressure for delivery.
“This is more than policy. It’s progress,” she said. “And we’ll continue to work at pace to make the UK a global leader in hydrogen.”
She added: “We’re at a critical point in the political and economic cycle, with the Spending Review ahead. That will determine how we invest for the future. I hope it reflects the scale of the opportunity – because it has to.”
The HEA Conference 2025 brought together hundreds of delegates from across industry, government and academia, showcasing new hydrogen technology and reinforcing the message that hydrogen’s moment is here.
But throughout the day, speakers said the UK had to move faster, scale bigger and invest smarter to avoid being left behind in the global hydrogen race.
“We should be focusing on exporting our knowledge, not just our molecules,” said SLR Consulting’s Kim McCann. “Other countries are producing hydrogen for less than $30 per megawatt-hour – some as low as $22. And we can’t compete on those prices alone.
“Our competitive edge has to come from being first – by innovating, by scaling, and by owning the intellectual and technological advantage. That’s how we lead.”
Ethan Murray of Santander said forward thinking was also key.
“We’re seeing more large-scale hydrogen projects coming through – but financing needs to be planned from the outset,” he said. “Developers who wait until the end to think about bankability risk stalling their own progress.”
Amanda Lyne, Chair of the HEA and MD of ULEMCo, was joined by Hydrogen Europe’s Ivan Delibasic who stressed that “policy must reflect projects on the ground – otherwise it’s just paperwork, not progress.”
This was supported by other speakers throughout the day who outlined details of their own projects and the scope for further deployment.
Luxfer’s Keith Croysdale highlighted award-winning transport technology ready for immediate rollout, while Luxfer Gas Cylinders exhibited the The G-Stor® Hydrosphere Multiple Element Gas Container (MEGC) outside the QEII Centre in Westminster alongside HyTANKa, ULEMCo Ltd’s mobile hydrogen refuelling solution.
Carlton Power’s Eric Adams praised progress but said the industry had to push harder, comparing the sector’s current output to the early years of Ford’s production line.
He said: “Henry Ford didn’t set up his production line to build one or two cars a year. In year one, he aimed for 2,000 units. By year 12, they were producing 9,000 to 10,000 a day.
“If you look at H1 projects, just 38 five-megawatt units are expected – and even H2 only adds 230 more. That’s nowhere near enough to build a sustainable supply chain.
“We need more demand. We need more scale. Only then can we build a resilient supply network and grow this part of the economy.”
This was championed by the National Wealth Fund’s Rajesh Kedia who said hydrogen was a top investment priority and stressed the Fund’s commitment to flexible capital structures: “We’re not here to hand out grants. We’re here to invest commercially and deliver returns for UK taxpayers.”
The final word came from Paro Konar, Director General for Major Decarbonisation Projects at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, who closed the conference with a message of commitment and partnership.
She confirmed that the UK hydrogen strategy will be reviewed this autumn, providing an opportunity to update policy direction based on lessons learned and market evolution and acknowledged the importance of scaling up every part of the value chain – deployment, investment, infrastructure, skills.
“A thriving hydrogen economy will create high-quality jobs, drive investment, and help secure a more resilient, low-carbon future for the UK,” she said. “We want to see a hydrogen sector that fulfils its key role in delivering our clean energy superpower mission for the UK.”
