• UK government awards £9.4 million for first-of-a-kind new hydrogen project at the UK’s largest onshore windfarm near Glasgow
• Project will look to produce hydrogen for storing energy and providing zero-carbon fuel as the country shifts to a clean energy future
• Follows the landmark COP26 climate change summit held in Glasgow earlier this month

A trailblazing hydrogen storage project near Glasgow has today been backed by nearly £10 million in UK government funding – helping create high-skilled jobs and drive progress towards decarbonising the UK transport sector.

Putting Scotland at the forefront of the UK’s clean energy transition and supporting the city’s ambition to become net zero by 2030, the £9.4 million cash boost will see the Whitelee green hydrogen project develop the UK’s largest electrolyser, a system which converts water into hydrogen gas as a way to store energy. It will be located alongside ScottishPower’s Whitelee Windfarm, the largest of its kind in the UK, and will produce and store hydrogen to supply local transport providers with zero-carbon fuel.

Developed by ITM Power and BOC, in conjunction with ScottishPower’s Hydrogen division, the state-of-the-art facility will be able to produce enough green hydrogen per day – 2.5 to 4 tonnes – that, once stored, could provide the equivalent of enough zero-carbon fuel for 225 buses travelling to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh each day.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands said:

This first-of-a-kind hydrogen facility will put Scotland at the forefront of plans to make the UK a world-leading hydrogen economy, bringing green jobs to Glasgow, while also helping to decarbonise local transport – all immediately following the historic COP26 talks.

Projects like these will be vital as we shift to a green electricity grid, helping us get the full benefit from our world-class renewables, supporting the UK as we work to eliminate the UK’s contribution to climate change.

Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said:

This tremendous investment at Whitelee Windfarm illustrates how serious the UK government is about supporting projects that will see us achieve net zero by 2050.

In the weeks following COP26 in Glasgow, it has never been more important to champion projects like this one, which embraces new hydrogen technology while creating highly-skilled jobs. We can, and will, achieve a greener, cleaner future.

The announcement follows COP26, the global climate change summit held in Glasgow earlier this month, and supports the city’s ambition to become net zero by 2030. The Whitelee project will be the UK’s largest power-to hydrogen energy storage project, using an electrolyser powered by the renewable energy from the Whitelee Windfarm. This will create green hydrogen, a zero-carbon gas that is produced via electrolysis (splitting) of water, using renewable power.

Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM Power Ltd, said:

We are very pleased to be a partner in Green Hydrogen for Scotland and this first project, Green Hydrogen for Glasgow, will see the deployment of the largest electrolyser to date in the UK.

Jim Mercer, Business President, BOC UK & Ireland said:

The Green Hydrogen for Glasgow project is both innovative and exciting. It will help to shape the future of energy storage and demonstrate the value of hydrogen to Scotland’s growing low-carbon economy. This project will accelerate development across multiple disciplines – from production and storage, to transportation and end use.

Barry Carruthers, ScottishPower Hydrogen Director, said:

This blend of renewable electricity generation and green hydrogen production promises to highlight the multiple ways in which society can decarbonise by using these technologies here and now.

Building on the government’s plans to make the UK a world-leading hydrogen economy and ensure the sector has the skilled workforce it needs, an additional £2.25 million in new government funding will support the development of hydrogen skills and standards in the UK.

This funding, under the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, will see the British Standards Institution (BSI) develop technical standards for hydrogen products, and a consortium comprising Energy and Utility Skills and the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers, will establish new standards and training specifications to facilitate the training of hydrogen gas installers.

The Whitelee project will propel the UK’s Green Industrial Revolution and create high-skilled jobs in Glasgow and at ITM Power’s location in Sheffield supporting green growth. It will also create opportunities across the country in the near term and set the groundwork for longer-term economic growth, with the expansion of hydrogen businesses across the UK underpinning high-quality green jobs, putting the UK at the forefront of this new international market.

As part of the UK government’s plans to decarbonise the UK’s power system by 2035, it is accelerating the transition to clean, renewable energy – however, the unpredictable nature of renewables like wind power means that energy can be produced when it is not needed by the grid. Hydrogen has the ability to store energy for long periods of time and in large quantities making it a vital part of the green energy future, as it provides the opportunity to convert excess renewable energy into a fuel for use across the economy. This means hydrogen storage will play key role in the shift towards a fully decarbonised energy system, which is crucial to the UK reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The Whitelee hydrogen project is funded through the BEIS Energy Innovation Portfolio. The funding recipients are ITM Power and BOC.

ITM Power will develop and manufacture the electrolyser in Sheffield, while industrial gas company BOC will handle the project’s engineering and operations. They will work in conjunction with ScottishPower Hydrogen to integrate the electrolyser with ScottishPower’s Whitelee Windfarm near Glasgow. With 215 turbines and 539MW capacity, it is the UK’s largest onshore windfarm.

About ITM Power

ITM Power manufactures integrated hydrogen energy solutions for grid balancing, energy storage and the production of renewable hydrogen for transport, renewable heat and chemicals. ITM specialise in the manufacture of PEM (proton exchange membrane) electrolysers (the type of electrolyser that will be developed at Whitelee) and operate the world’s largest electrolyser manufacturing facility in Sheffield with a capacity of 1GW (1,000MW) per annum.

About BOC

BOC is supporting the UK and Ireland’s drive to enable commercial and private hydrogen transport supported by a UK-wide refuelling network. BOC’s clean fuels team designs, builds and operates proven, reliable and scalable refuelling station solutions that offer fast and familiar refuelling, using hydrogen. It supports local councils and transport operators who are aiming to take immediate action on air pollution and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

BOC has over 25-years’ experience progressing hydrogen as a fuel. It has worked on a range of infrastructure projects including the UK’s first open access hydrogen refuelling station in Swindon and the UK’s largest and highest performing refuelling station at Kittybrewster, Aberdeen. It has also delivered ground-breaking ventures internationally, including the roll-out of hydrogen-fuelled trains in Germany with project partners, Alstom

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will today (22 November 2021) set out the government’s commitment to boosting international trade, bolstering British investment and creating UK jobs at a speech in Dubai.

Speaking at the UK’s Travel Summit at Expo, the Transport Secretary will outline the UK’s future vision for safe and sustainable travel rooted in international collaboration and cutting-edge innovative projects such as zero emission flight and autonomous vehicles.

Both leaders in futuristic transport technology, from flying cars to self-driving trains, Grant Shapps will be forging new relationships throughout his time at the Expo, sharing best practices across the UAE and UK, strengthening both countries’ positions as leaders in high-tech transport and creating thousands of jobs in the future.

As one of the UK’s largest trading partners – bringing in almost £18 billion to the UK economy every year – the Transport Secretary will also be holding a number of high-profile meetings over the next few days aimed at boosting trade between the UK and Dubai even further, generating UK investment and creating green jobs across the UK.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

We’re leading the charge on the transport revolution, investing billions of pounds of funding to both transform and decarbonise all aspects of travel, from the cars we drive to the planes and ships we travel on.

Working together with the UAE, a renowned high-tech futuristic transport hub, will allow us to drive these changes forward while boosting investment and creating jobs across the UK.

This year’s Expo will focus on sustainability, mobility and opportunity, positioning the UK at the forefront of global innovators and building on the success of COP26. As part of this, the Transport Secretary will be visiting a range of renewable and clean technology sites.

Already leading the charge on drones, EVs and autonomous vehicles, the UK is looking to expand and strengthen knowledge and expertise in areas such as hydrogen and sustainable fuels – building upon the £300 million of funding announced earlier this year to drive forward research into innovative transport projects.

• Funding to improve access to volunteering through more opportunities, improved training allocation and resourcing
• Minister for Civil Society marks fund as an ‘important step’ in ensuring equal access for all

The Government has launched a £7 million fund with Arts Council England, Pears Foundation and NHS Charities Together to help people access more volunteering opportunities across a range of sectors including the arts and sport, Civil Society Minister Nigel Huddleston announced today.

The Volunteering Futures Fund, which includes almost £6 million directly from the Government, and £1.15 million contributed by Pears Foundation and NHS Charities Together, will provide opportunities to a diverse range of people, recognising that there are people across the country facing barriers to volunteering. The fund will have a strong focus on young people, those experiencing loneliness, those with disabilities and those from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Organisations who run projects across the arts, heritage, museums, libraries, sport, civil society and youth sectors are encouraged to apply. These include nationwide projects to create placements for young people, in addition to more regional and local projects, such as those working with a particular football club to provide volunteering opportunities.

Arts Council England will be distributing £4.7 million of the fund provided by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and have today launched their competition for Expressions of Interest, welcoming bids for £100,001 or above, for organisations to fund the training and support necessary to deliver high quality volunteering projects.

In addition to the £4.7 million of grants which ACE will administer, DCMS has awarded Pears Foundation and NHS Charities Together with £1.15 million. The two grant makers are also adding to the total themselves with a further £1.15 million, bringing the combined fund to £7 million.

Minister for Civil Society, Nigel Huddleston, commented:

Making volunteering opportunities accessible to all is an important step towards levelling up this country.

There are so many benefits to volunteering such as improving mental health, learning new skills and becoming part of a community.

I urge organisations to apply for grants through Arts Council England, to develop and deliver high quality volunteering opportunities.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport sectors rely greatly on the hard work and dedication of volunteers to deliver vital services in youth, charity, sports, and arts sectors. There are also undeniable benefits of volunteering, including building new skills, improving mental well-being and opportunities to connect with new people, and join social networks, all whilst contributing towards society.

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair at Arts Council England, said:

Volunteers are at the core of the cultural sector, and help to make possible many of the creative and cultural events beloved by people all over the country. We know that volunteering can also have huge benefits for physical, mental and emotional health, and so we’re delighted to work with DCMS to administer this fund, and help to further spread the benefits of volunteering to people from all backgrounds, in all parts of the country.

Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive at NHS Charities Together, said:

Volunteering is the lifeblood of our communities and has really important personal benefits too, from meeting new people to improving your mental health. This fund offers a much-needed boost to help young people from all backgrounds access life-changing volunteering opportunities, and we’re excited to be part of it.

We support a network of 240 NHS Charities across the UK – many of which have unparalleled expertise in delivering youth volunteering schemes – and we look forward to working with them to get these funds to where they are needed most, and can have the greatest impact. This includes increased support for our NHS workforce, as they face their most challenging winter ever.

Sir Trevor Pears CMG, Executive Chair, Pears Foundation, said:

For so many civil society organisations, volunteers are the backbone of their work; the extraordinary volunteer response to Covid-19 has only served to emphasise this. Now, as we look forward, it’s crucial that we support these organisations to build on that response, remove remaining barriers to recruitment, and further develop the infrastructure to support and invest in their volunteers.

We are delighted to be working in partnership again with DCMS to support some of our long-term Partners in this work, delivering projects to develop volunteering opportunities for, and for the benefit of, people with disabilities and young people.

Following Expressions of Interest, Arts Council England will award grants by the end of March 2022, kicking off two years of activities.

ENDS

• Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to host her counterparts from the world’s leading economies in Liverpool
• Meeting in iconic port city takes place following global summits in Glasgow (COP) and Carbis Bay (G7 Leaders’ Summit) earlier this year
• South-East Asian countries, which are members of ASEAN group, invited to G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting for first time

The UK will host a summit of Foreign and Development Ministers from the G7 next month in the city of Liverpool.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will welcome counterparts from the US, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and the EU over three days, from Friday 10 until Sunday 12 December. The UK is holding the G7 Presidency in 2021 and this is the second in-person gathering of G7 Foreign Ministers this year, following May’s meeting in London.

Countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will also attend the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meetings for the first time, a sign of the UK’s growing Indo-Pacific tilt. This attendance builds on the May meeting, which included representatives from Australia, India, South Korea and South Africa. These nations collectively represent a broader geographic spread of countries committed to reforming and safeguarding the international order in which economies can flourish.

Foreign and Development Ministers will discuss a range of global issues, including economic resilience post-Covid, global health and human rights.

The holding of the meeting in Liverpool comes after a series of global summits around the UK this year, including the COP climate summit in Glasgow this month, and the G7 Leaders’ Summit hosted by the PM in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, in June.

Liverpool has been chosen due to its history as an iconic port city with a global outlook, strong ties around the world, and a thriving cultural, musical and sporting heritage.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

“The meeting of G7 Foreign and Development Ministers in Liverpool next month is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the city to the world, highlighting the best of British culture, commerce and creativity. I will be hosting our friends and partners to discuss how we build closer economic, technology and security ties globally and deliver for the British people. I want us to build a worldwide network of liberty that advances freedom, democracy and enterprise and encourages like-minded countries to work together from a position of strength.

“I was deeply saddened by the awful attack in Liverpool this month, but the resolve of the people of this great city will never waver in the face of such atrocities.”

Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, said:

“Liverpool is proud to have been chosen to host this global event on behalf of the UK government.

“We are a fitting choice given our cultural significance, musical importance and sporting greatness which attracts visitors from around the world, as well as our scientific and architectural innovation.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:

“Liverpool is often described as ‘the world in one city’, so I can think of no more fitting city to host the G7 Foreign and Development Ministerial meeting. We are an outward-facing and welcoming region – and nation – known around the world as a global leader in sport, culture, music, heritage and so much more.

“Where we were once leaders of the First Industrial Revolution, we are pioneers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, leading the world in digital and green innovation. From the recently launched Pandemic Institute to revolutionary projects like HyNet and our own Mersey Tidal Power scheme, there is nowhere that better embodies the best of our country’s past and an exciting vision for the future.

“The eyes of the world will be on the Liverpool City Region during this summit, and we have a fantastic story to tell. While they’re here, I’m sure that the Foreign and Development Ministers and the world’s press – like the many, many tourists we attract every year – won’t be afraid to spend a few pounds in the local economy!”

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Carden, who is the Gold Commander in charge of policing the event, said:

“Merseyside Police is committed to ensuring the safety of the G7 conference delegates and the residents of Merseyside. A robust policing plan has been put in place to ensure that delegates can enjoy the conference and the city during their visit.

“The force will continue to provide an effective and professional policing service across Merseyside during the conference.”

The G7 Foreign Ministers will experience first-hand some of Liverpool’s world-class cultural sites during their visit.

The Museum of Liverpool, on the city’s famous waterfront, will be the main location for the talks.

Among the ASEAN Foreign Ministers due to attend are those from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, which the Foreign Secretary visited earlier this month.