Becoming an independent country would give Scotland the powers and levers to reform the energy market and help to deliver a stronger, more resilient supply with lower costs, Energy Secretary Michael Matheson has said.
The Energy Secretary will travel to Brussels this week to promote Scottish hydrogen production during European Hydrogen Week and for meetings on North Sea hydrogen infrastructure with key industry figures and ministers from Belgium and the Netherlands.
The trip follows the publication of the latest paper in the Building a New Scotland series last week, which set out plans to enhance Scotland’s renewable energy production, such as hydrogen, onshore and offshore wind, tidal and wave energy and puts renewables at the centre of a new Scottish economy.
It also proposes new market frameworks to develop and deploy renewable hydrogen and Carbon Capture Storage (CCS), proposals that cannot currently be delivered as energy is a reserved matter.
Mr Matheson said:Â
“Hydrogen may be Scotland’s greatest industrial opportunity since oil and gas.
“It will play a key role in delivering net zero in industrial and heavy transport use and in the domestic economy, potentially heating our homes and buildings and there is significant export potential.
“The recently published economy prospectus paper for an independent Scotland sets out how we would put renewable energies, such as hydrogen, at the centre of the economy.
“Scotland is an energy rich country, becoming independent would give us the powers and levers to reform the energy market and ensure a stronger, more resilient supply with lower costs.
“European Hydrogen Week is an excellent opportunity to showcase everything Scotland has to offer and to work closely with our European friends and partners on the key issues we must collectively address to realise the full potential of hydrogen as part of the green energy transition.”
