We had a good visit this week from Sadik Al-Hassan, MP for North Somerset. It’s been over a decade since he last came to NCC - back when the building was still going up - so it was a useful chance to show how far things have moved on.
As a local resident and former Deputy Mayor, Sadik knows the area well. His constituency includes both Bristol Airport and the Port, plus a growing number of aerospace, energy and defence companies - sectors we work closely with.
The conversation naturally turned to hydrogen. Sadik recently led a Westminster Hall debate on hydrogen in aviation, and it’s something we’ve been working on for years - from composite pressure vessels and cryogenic tanks to infrastructure for distribution. It’s an area where materials and manufacturing make a real difference.
Hydrogen remains a key part of the future energy mix in hard to decarbonise sectors but is still a big challenge - not just technically, but commercially and operationally. That said, we’ve got a window of opportunity. The UK’s hydrogen strategy is expected later this year, and it’s critical that industry and government are aligned if we want to stay competitive.
Richard Oldfield, NCC CEO, said:
Sadik Al-Hassan MP said:
From left: Richard Oldfield, CEO; Sadik Al-Hassan MP; Kevin Mee, Sector Director; and Marcus Walls-Bruck, Head of Hydrogen
