Exploring the acceleration of sustainability transitions: The case of the transition to a low-carbon hydrogen network in North West England
Authors
Edwards, Reace L.Advisors
Powell-Turner, JulieannaBrammer, John
Publication Date
2024-10-31
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Climate change attributable to anthropogenic emissions presents a major sustainability challenge. Low-carbon hydrogen could have an important role in decarbonisation by replacing the use of fossil fuels across various heavy-emitting sectors in the UK. The North West of England is well-positioned for the development of a low-carbon hydrogen network due to its existing infrastructure, assets and capabilities. The transition to low-carbon hydrogen can be thought of as a sustainability transition because it is goal oriented and encompasses niche innovations that exhibit a lower techno-economic performance than established technologies. While transitions typically occur over decades, the urgency of decarbonisation has led scholars to explore how they could be accelerated. Guided by the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) approach to understanding sustainability transitions, this research explores how the transition to a low-carbon hydrogen network in England’s North West region could be accelerated. It does so by employing an explorative case study methodology, collecting primary data through semi-structured interviews and virtual workshop sessions. The data is analysed using two conceptual frameworks and further enriched by drawing upon conceptualisations from MLP literature. The first framework outlines examples of five acceleration mechanisms observed across hydrogen transition initiatives in North West England, highlighting the key activities and tensions with each. Findings indicate that embedding is less frequently observed than other mechanisms due to broader challenges associated with instrumentalising, such as design limitations of national funding schemes and a lack of frameworks to encourage private sector investment in low-carbon hydrogen technologies. The second framework explores the role of institutional and organisational drivers in promoting complementarity changes to accelerate the transition to low-carbon hydrogen, while also identifying potential transition bottlenecks. The findings suggest that institutional drivers aimed at improving the economics of low-carbon hydrogen innovations could be crucial for catalysing complementarity changes. Several high-significance bottlenecks that could prohibit the deployment of hydrogen innovations are identified, including persistent lock-in, bootstrapping, the weak spot bottleneck and public opposition. These bottlenecks are likely to arise during the experimentation phase of the transition, suggesting the need for their resolution in the short term. This research emphasises the importance of institutional support in accelerating sustainability transitions. Examples of institutional support identified for the case studied in this research included funding schemes that enable the actual demonstration of hydrogen innovations, education programmes that may enhance social acceptance of hydrogen innovations, and measures that address the unfavourable economics of low-carbon hydrogen such as supportive business models, carbon tax reforms, and end-user subsidies. Additionally, this research highlights the need for a co-ordinated approach when strategically planning the development and deployment of low-carbon innovations, both in the early phases and throughout the course of the transition, to enable the effective implementation of institutional measures, and to mitigate against potential transition bottlenecks.Citation
Edwards, R. L. (2024). Exploring the acceleration of sustainability transitions: The case of the transition to a low-carbon hydrogen network in North West England [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. University of Chester.Publisher
University of ChesterType
Thesis or dissertationLanguage
enCollections
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