Net Zero Technology: Innovation Priorities 2025-2035 | May 2025
Executive Summary
The UK stands at a critical juncture on its journey to net zero. The decisions and actions we take over the next decade will define our energy system and shape the future of our industrial system.
Investment in innovative technology is crucial for accelerating the energy transition, reducing the green premium and developing a net zero supply chain and high-value jobs. Over the past nine years, the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) has been at the forefront of net zero technology innovation in the UK, driving supply chain growth, creating over 1,500 jobs, fast-tracking the commercialisation of 59 technologies and supporting 117 startups.
Luca Corradi,
Chief Technology Officer
We recognise the need to progress rapidly to deliver a clean power system by 2030 and scale up net zero technologies beyond that to achieve our net zero targets – and we are ready to play our part.
The innovation priorities within this report are demand-led, informed by continuous engagement with industry stakeholders. This report provides an outline of our rationale for the programmes we propose to deliver over the next 10 years and is also a call to action seeking further industry participation and collaboration.
The energy transition presents an unparalleled opportunity for economic growth but we need to act now to realise this. To fully capitalise on this opportunity, it is imperative that government, industry, academia and investors collaborate to foster the growth of domestic businesses capable of competing in international markets. NZTC is committed to continuing our mission to deliver the transition through technology innovation, maintaining and building on the UK’s reputation as world leaders in delivering net zero.
Through the programmes outlined in this report – accelerating technology trials, startups, infrastructure projects and industrial collaborations – NZTC will create new skilled jobs and commercialise over 20 new technologies to facilitate an affordable transition to net zero.
Delivering the next decade of successful NZTC programmes will depend on both industry and private investment funding, as well as public money. These opportunities for technology innovation through development and deployment are across four critical areas: Offshore Renewables and Grid, Hydrogen and Alternative Fuels, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Industrial Decarbonisation, with digital and AI technologies as cross-cutting enablers.
Our focus within renewables is on supporting floating offshore wind and other marine renewable technologies to reduce the levelised cost of electricity and enhance energy security. With hydrogen, there is a need to develop a robust hydrogen economy by reducing production costs and creating scalable solutions, achieving a target of less than €2/kg by 2035. In the CCS sector, there are opportunities to develop and implement cost-effective capture, transportation and storage solutions to meet the UK and wider European emissions reduction targets. Our work in industrial decarbonisation will support the development of innovative technologies to monitor, measure and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, our focus on digital and AI technologies is to leverage their disruptive potential to accelerate the path to net zero.
There is an unquestioned need to innovate as we develop the technologies that will deliver the next generation of energy globally. The UK offshore industrial ecosystem’s track record, willingness and ability to diversify, world class research, development and innovation, and highly skilled workforce are formidable enablers for a rapid development of the technology innovation required.
NZTC’s horizon scanning capabilities, combined with our active engagement with industry, academia and the supply chain, have proven to be catalysts for innovation and change. Our experience over the past ten years in supporting the development of new energy technology has guided our thinking as we created the innovation roadmaps underpinning this document.
We invite you to participate in shaping these programmes by getting in touch
at [email protected] or by scanning the QR code below:
With your help, we can achieve the results laid out in these demand-led innovation priorities, develop the right programmes and deliver projects that result in a reduction in the green premium for energy, robust economic growth, sustainable energy jobs and meeting our national net zero targets.
We have delivered innovation at scale and pace before. We will do it again. We’d like you to be part of that story.
At a glance
