UK Unveils £2 Billion Investment in Hydrogen as Attention Pivots From Nuclear

China ceases plans to fund a UK nuclear power plant, as leading industry and financial figures praise the government’s switch towards investment in hydrogen.

European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) Technician Jerry Gibson explains about the hydrogen fuel cell in the harbour at Kirkwall, Orkney on Sept. 6, 2021. EMEC produces "green" hydrogen from renewable sources via a tidal turbine and electrolysis. Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

The UK government has pledged £2 billion in funding over the next 15 years to support 11 major green hydrogen projects across the country, in announcements made on Dec. 14.

The initiative, involving the largest number of commercial-scale green hydrogen production projects announced simultaneously in Europe, aims to position the UK at the forefront of the emerging hydrogen industry. Unlike blue hydrogen, which relies on fossil fuels, green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, using renewable energy to split water.