Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:31 pm on 15 November 2022.
I thank Joel James for that supplementary question, Llywydd, and I welcome him as a recruit to those of us who've always believed that it is the role of Government to step in where the market fails. So, it's good to know that that idea is alive on the Conservative benches. I agree with what the Member said about the potential for green hydrogen and the importance of this being a partnership between private businesses and public authorities. I'm not quite as pessimistic as he sounded about the potential for this to make a breakthrough into making an actual difference in the transport regime here in Wales. The Statkraft example that Joel James referred to, Llywydd, is a facility to produce green hydrogen, to store it as well, at Trecwn in Pembrokeshire. I've had an opportunity to discuss this with Statkraft representatives when I visited Ireland recently. I'll be meeting EDF, another major investor in renewable energy, with ambitions in green hydrogen as well, later today. Here in Wales, we are determined to work with those major investors to give them the confidence that they need, and to make sure that, where those investments depend upon a partnership between public authorities—the Statkraft investment in Pembrokeshire depends on a partnership with Pembrokeshire council because the plan is to make sure that the green hydrogen produced will power buses across Pembrokeshire and will help with rail travel as well—and where that partnership is key to unlocking investment and creating that green hydrogen future, then the Welsh Government will always be active partners in that endeavour.