Britain has chosen 11 places to make green hydrogen in what it called its most significant step so far towards producing the “fuel of the future”.
The projects announced on Thursday, backed by £2 billion ($2.53 billion) of government funding, will produce hydrogen for use in paper mills, commercial port vehicles and distilleries, among others, replacing fossil fuels.
Ministers said the plans – in which hydrogen will be split off from water using clean energy, thereby earning the “green hydrogen” label – were key to achieving Britain’s climate change goals.
Plans to test it in domestic heating as a replacement for gas, though, have been kicked back to 2026 as a pilot project in the north-east of England was scrapped after failing to find a reliable hydrogen supply.
The new funding nonetheless “represents a monumental step forward in helping producers to deliver a fuel of the future today”, said energy minister Martin Callanan.
“This will be essential to achieving our net-zero targets, and will benefit people across the UK with the job and investment opportunities that this funding will bring,” he said.
The world’s hydrogen plans gathered pace at the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, where several major companies such as the UAE’s Masdar announced new initiatives in the sector.
The main climate deal agreed in Dubai specifically mentions hydrogen in a call for countries to “accelerate zero and low-emission technologies” as they make the transition from fossil fuels.
Green hydrogen is only produced in low quantities at present and people in the sector talk about a “chicken and egg” problem in which demand remains low as long as supply does, and vice versa.
Sopna Sury, chief operating officer for hydrogen at energy company RWE, expressed optimism that the new UK funding was a “shift from policy development to project delivery” that would give the industry more clarity.
“These early projects are vital not only in driving the production of electrolytic hydrogen but also in signalling the need to build-out the [transport and storage] infrastructure for its wider distribution,” she said.
The 11 sites in England, Scotland and Wales were chosen from 17 applicants and will be followed by a second funding round as the UK tries to get one gigawatt of capacity under construction by 2025.
In the same announcement, the government said the domestic heating trial in the town of Redcar was not going ahead because “the main source of hydrogen will not be available”.
A 53-page update on the UK’s hydrogen strategy says ministers “continue to recognise the role that hydrogen could play in home heating” but will not make firm decisions until 2026, after the next general election.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
EXPATS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lulu%20Wang%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicole%20Kidman%2C%20Sarayu%20Blue%2C%20Ji-young%20Yoo%2C%20Brian%20Tee%2C%20Jack%20Huston%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
