Chris Skidmore, MP for the South Gloucestershire constituency of Kingswood, paid a visit to the IAAPS facility at the Bristol & Bath Science Park on Friday, meeting members of the senior leadership team to discuss the future opportunities for sustainable fuel and hydrogen innovation in the region.
From left: Toby Savage, Gary Hawley, Chris Brace, Chris Skidmore and Rob Oliver
The visit was part of the #NetZeroReview engagement tour to assess the UK Government’s approach to net zero and the different avenues to deliver 2050 targets. Chris Skidmore is leading the independent review, which is due to be published at the end of the year, consulting with a wide range of stakeholders and experts through a series of roundtables and direct meetings.
He was joined by Cllr Toby Savage, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council and Vice Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership, the pan-regional organisation for South Wales and Western England, which has established a regional hydrogen network to drive the development of low carbon energy in the South West.
In conversation with Professor Gary Hawley, Executive Director, Professor Chris Brace, Academic Director and Professor Rob Oliver, Engineering Director at IAAPS, they were briefed on IAAPS’ new green hydrogen capability, set to be operational in spring 2023, which will facilitate collaboration between industry and academia as well as prepare for and capture opportunities from the hydrogen economy.
The government’s ‘UK Hydrogen Strategy’ estimates that by 2050 the hydrogen economy will create 100,000 jobs and £13bn of benefit to the economy, driven by application in road transport, maritime and aviation sectors.
Pictured below: Cllr Toby Savage, Professor Gary Hawley, Professor Chris Brace, Chris Skidmore MP and Professor Rob Oliver.
17 October 2022