The head of Johnson Matthey, Jane Toogood, has been named the nation’s first-ever “Hydrogen Champion” by the UK government.
Her new position as the government’s hydrogen champion would enable her to promote up to 10GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2030 and bring “business and government together to fulfill the government’s hydrogen aspirations.”
By 2025, the government wants to establish new economic models for infrastructure related to hydrogen transport and storage as well as conduct yearly allocation rounds for electrolytic hydrogen.
The hiring of Ms. Toogood follows news this week that Johnson Matthey intends to build a £60 million hydrogen fuel cell facility in the UK.
With billions of pounds in foreign investment and 12,000 jobs supported nationwide, this will put the UK on course to being a leader in the hydrogen economy.
The UK’s government has ambitious intentions to advance hydrogen technology, according to Ms. Toogood.
“Deploying hydrogen as a clean energy source is one of the key strategies for the UK to achieve its net zero targets, and I strongly believe there is an opportunity to speed up this process by working cooperatively across industry and government to complete projects and infrastructure on a schedule that meets the needs of stakeholders and customers.
“At Johnson Matthey, we see that there is an increasing need for hydrogen ecosystems on a worldwide scale throughout the industry, transportation, and the power sector, particularly given the rising emphasis on energy security.
“As the UK’s hydrogen champion, working with business and the government, I intend to guarantee we make progress toward developing a vibrant hydrogen economy, ensuring private sector investment and policy choices are coordinated to facilitate prompt decisions and outcomes.”
“Jane Toogood’s selection as the UK’s first Hydrogen Champion – and opening of the joint allocation round for green hydrogen projects – is a positive expression of purpose from the government,” said Clare Jackson, Chief Executive of Hydrogen UK.
Ms. Toogood co-chairs the Hydrogen Advisory Council with the BEIS Secretary of State in addition to serving as CEO of Johnson Matthey’s Catalyst Technologies.
She has previously worked with Borealis, ICI, and Uniqema, and she also served as the chair of Johnson Matthey’s internal Brexit working group.
After joining the “Group Leadership Team” of her present employer in March 2016 as a divisional director, Ms. Toogood was promoted to sector chief executive in April 2017.
