On March 28th, the UK Environment Agency released guidelines for green hydrogen production, which can be used to guide emerging technologies for hydrogen production through electrolysis of water. This guide was developed by the UK Environment Agency in consultation with the industry circle, other regulatory agencies, and stakeholders to assist businesses in designing and developing industrial facilities for producing green hydrogen. As hydrogen production companies in the UK are required to obtain an environmental permit issued by the Environmental Agency, this guide will also help companies meet strict environmental and community protection requirements for the permit. It includes target audience, technology selection, factory design and operation, exhaust emissions, wastewater management, waste disposal, monitoring and reporting, unplanned emissions and accident handling, noise management, and regulatory assistance.

As hydrogen provides enormous economic opportunities for the UK, it is expected to release over 12000 jobs and up to £ 11 billion in investment by 2030. The UK government continues to promote the deployment of low-carbon hydrogen production projects. In August 2021, the UK Department of Business, Energy, and Industry Strategy (BEIS) released the UK Hydrogen Strategy, proposing the development of a low-carbon industry to realize a low-carbon production capacity of 5 gigawatts by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions targets. In December 2023, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) in the UK published the "Hydrogen Production Delivery Roadmap" and "Hydrogen Transport and Storage Network Development Path", supporting electrolytic hydrogen production projects and hydrogen storage infrastructure network construction through multiple measures. During the same period, DESNZ jointly funded 11 large-scale projects producing green hydrogen through the "Hydrogen Production Business Model/Net Zero Hydrogen Fund", with the aim to provide up to 4GW of blue hydrogen and 6GW of green hydrogen by 2030.

As the UK moves towards the "net zero" target, the Environment Agency recognizes the importance of developing clear guidance for emerging energy technologies such as green hydrogen to ensure that hydrogen is manufactured in a way that protects both humans and the environment. This guide will help businesses understand necessary management risks and outline available technologies to prevent or minimize emissions and environmental impacts. In addition to providing licensing advice to operators, this guide also introduces to the public how to implement environmental regulations and standards to protect communities from harm.