Gigafactory gap forces UK to import hydrogen batteries
The UK now has a never-to-be-repeated opportunity to build indigenous manufacturing and production capabilities that create both domestic value and export opportunities
The UK is breaking records in electric vehicle (EV) sales, evidence of the building momentum in the transition to electrified cars and vans. Yet, at the same time, due to a complex combination of factors, we have not established ourselves as one of the main manufacturing hubs for EVs, their components, or charging infrastructure. China dominates on several fronts, while the US and other European nations follow. For the UK, although overseas manufacturing can mean lower-cost vehicles and infrastructure, it ultimately leads to gaps in our domestic capabilities. These undermine our broader manufacturing potential and are likely to cost us money and jobs over the longer term. For example, the UK
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25 February 2026
Low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia development is advancing much more slowly and unevenly than once expected, with high costs and policy uncertainty thinning investment. Meanwhile, surging energy demand is reinforcing the role of natural gas and LNG as the backbone of the global energy system, panellists at LNG2026 said
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Norwegian energy company has dropped a major hydrogen project and paused its CCS expansion plans as demand fails to materialise
4 February 2026
Europe’s largest electrolyser manufacturers are losing patience with policymakers as sluggish growth in the green hydrogen sector undermines their decision to expand production capacity
2 February 2026
As a fertiliser feedstock, it is indispensable, but ammonia’s potential as a carbon-free energy carrier is also making it central to global decarbonisation strategies
