HYDROGEN was very much the hot topic at this week's All-Energy renewables conference in Glasgow, as the technologies to harness nature's lightest gas as a means of storing and delivering green energy are now well and truly available at commercial level.

As The Scottish Farmer went to press, Scotland’s Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, delivered the keynote address before a major conference session on the long-awaited 'hydrogen economy'.

Hydrogen features on the exhibition show floor with a double-decker hydrogen bus from Alexander Dennis; a hydrogen powered Mirai from Toyota amongst the many low carbon vehicles on display; an electric Kangoo van with a fuel cell range extender; and via exhibitors such as Black and Veatch, ENERCON; HV Systems, the Norco group; Viessmann and Wurth Electronics.

“Not long ago there would be just one hydrogen and fuel cell (HFC) session at All-Energy, now it is featured in All-Energy and the new co-located Dcarbonise in many ways, for heat, transport, storage, the success of Orkney’s hydrogen economy, and even offshore hydrogen production,” explained event director, Jonathan Heastie of Reed Exhibitions.

“In the main conference there are presentations featuring hydrogen in that second day plenary session; in Innovate UK’s Clean Growth Innovation Showcase; in the energy storage sessions; in our low carbon transport ‘Smart Urban Mobility Solutions’ conference stream; and in the ‘Net-zero Challenge’ sessions created by Edinburgh University.

“In our expanded number of show floor seminar theatres, hydrogen is in the spotlight in the Community and Local Energy; Low Carbon Heating; and Research Hub seminar theatres; and extensively in the new Energy Storage and Hydrogen Hub. It also features amongst the Academic Posters in the Academic Zone.

“And, of course in the HFC session where, chaired by Stuart McKay, Hydrogen and Carbon capture Utilisation Storage (CCUS) Policy Lead at the Scottish Government, Dr Robert Sansom, a Fellow of The IET and lead author of the joint Professional Engineering Institutions’ report will speak on ‘Hydrogen – Transitioning to Hydrogen: Engineering Risk and Uncertainties’, and others in that session will talk of energy storage and conversion, of the development of a zero-emission double deck bus and more.”

Much of the material, information and products highlighted at All-Energy can be found afterwards at www.all-energy.co.uk; and www.dcarbonise.com.