Britain said on Tuesday it would work closely with Germany to underpin the international trade in hydrogen under a new partnership, which the government hopes will support its net zero target and bolster energy security.

The countries will also collaborate to speed up the role of low-carbon hydrogen in their energy mix, the British statement added.

“This agreement will underpin the development of this new fuel not just for our respective countries but also for an international trade that could be transformative in our work towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050,” Martin Callanan, a junior minister in the government’s energy department, said.

“It is through these partnerships that we can move away from expensive fossil fuels – and in doing so boost our energy security.”

Industry and policy-makers are increasingly looking to hydrogen to lower the environmental impact of sectors that have been the hardest to decarbonise and reduce the use of gas, but the investment required and the technical challenges are high.