Proposals for offshore hydrogen regulation consultation

Views sought on initial regulatory proposals for offshore hydrogen pipelines and storage.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has launched a consultation which proposes and seeks views on plans for secondary legislation to extend offshore oil and gas pipeline construction and use consenting responsibility of the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) to also apply to hydrogen pipelines.

It also proposes to extend certain environmental and decommissioning regulations to apply to relevant hydrogen activities, and grants the NSTA powers to issue hydrogen storage licenses.

As a consequence of these proposals, DESNZ and the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) would be responsible for relevant offshore environmental impact assessments and habitats assessments prior to the NSTA granting relevant approval(s).

The consultation is open to all, but will be of specific interest to hydrogen economy stakeholders, including:

• hydrogen producers
• hydrogen consumers
• gas transporters
• storage operators
• investors
• consumer champions
• trade associations
• academics

Find out more about the consultation and how to respond.

First published 24 April 2023