The conversation around hydrogen has been growing louder in recent years, and for good reason. As industries and governments work towards ambitious net zero targets, hydrogen energy is being hailed as one of the most promising solutions to decarbonise sectors that electricity alone cannot easily reach.
From fuelling buses and HGVs to powering industrial plants and even heating our homes, hydrogen has the potential to reshape the way we produce and consume energy. But while its benefits are clear, so too are the challenges, especially when it comes to safety.
In this article, Woodward Group explores how hydrogen is being developed in the UK, the opportunities it offers, and the critical role of safety in its successful adoption.
Why hydrogen is gaining attention
Hydrogen is an attractive solution because it produces zero carbon emissions at the point of use. When used in a fuel cell, the only by-product is water vapour, making it one of the cleanest energy carriers available.
It’s therefore unsurprising that hydrogen energy is already finding its way into a wide range of applications. In transport, fuel cell vehicles are being trialled for heavy duty use (such as in buses, lorries and trains), where their longer ranges and faster refuelling times offer an advantage over battery electric options. Heating is another area of focus, with hydrogen-ready boilers and trials in the gas network being used to explore how it can help cut emissions from homes and workplaces. In heavy industry too, sectors such as steelmaking, chemicals and glass production are looking to hydrogen as a cleaner alternative to the fossil fuels traditionally needed to generate high temperatures.
Headline initiatives
In April 2025, the UK Government announced 27 hydrogen projects shortlisted for support under the Hydrogen Allocation Round 2 (HAR2), with potential to draw over £1 billion in private investment by 2029. These projects span England, Scotland and Wales and indicate the scale of intent behind hydrogen rollout.
Another initiative making the headlines is Project HySpeed. One of the UK’s most ambitious plans, it is a £6.5 billion green hydrogen programme that aims to deliver 1 GW of capacity by 2030, support around 24,300 jobs and prevent close to one million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year. The project’s ambition is to build hydrogen production hubs across the UK, embed domestic manufacturing, and drive decarbonisation of foundation industries (like steel, glass, and other building materials).
These efforts are aligned with legislative support. The Energy Act 2023 explicitly provides statutory frameworks for hydrogen production, transport, storage and licensing, with part of the Act’s provisions covering hydrogen infrastructure and grid trials.
Understanding the importance of hydrogen energy safety
It’s clear that hydrogen offers tremendous opportunity, but it also presents safety risks that cannot be underestimated. Its properties – being high flammability, explosive risk at certain concentrations, and its colourless and odourless nature – demand rigorous controls throughout design, installation, maintenance and operations.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has long been involved in researching hydrogen safety in both liquid and gaseous forms of hydrogen and in shaping the standards and regulations that underpin safe use. Within the UK’s Safe Net Zero 2025 programme, safety considerations for large scale production, storage and distribution of hydrogen and its derivatives are central topics. HSE describes its approach as holistic: understanding causes and consequences of releases, and controlling or mitigating risk.
Given hydrogen’s potential in the UK’s net zero roadmap, safety must be embedded from the start, not as an afterthought.
How Woodward Group supports safe hydrogen use
At Woodward Group, we have built deep expertise over more than 35 years in delivering solutions to businesses with facilities that may contain or have activities that produce explosive or potentially explosive atmospheres. We understand how critical it is that electrical infrastructure within hazardous areas is designed, installed, tested and maintained to high standards.
Our ATEX specialists deliver:
- Full hazardous area inspection and testing
- ATEX-compliant installation and maintenance
- Electrical design and integration of ‘Ex’ rated equipment
- Ongoing support to ensure safety and regulatory compliance
We are CompEx certified, and our track record spans industries such as oil & gas, petrochemical, chemical, steel, pharmaceutical and warehousing. Our teams frequently work in environments subject to COMAH regulations, ensuring that our clients meet obligations for major accident hazard sites.
As hydrogen infrastructure develops, whether for production, storage, refuelling, or integration into gas networks, our expertise becomes directly relevant. Every point where hydrogen, gas or vapour mixing may occur is a zone of risk. Electrical systems, control panels, lighting and power distribution must meet ATEX standards so as not to become a source of ignition.
Woodward Group can guide clients in hazard mapping, area classification, equipment selection, installation verification and ongoing inspection regimes to maintain safety.
Get in touch
Hydrogen is poised to play a central role in the UK energy transition, but its safe deployment requires specialist skills in hazardous electrical systems. With decades of ATEX experience, Woodward Group is well placed to support organisations in preparing for hydrogen projects, handling safety from day one.