WP1- Data gathering and collaboration: This WP will identify low carbon technological pathways for key UK clusters. Key technical options for reducing emissions across major industrial clusters have been already proposed during phase I of the Strategy Challenge Fund’s (SCF). These solutions include carbon capture and storage (CCS), fuel switching to hydrogen, integration of renewables, together with improved process and energy efficiencies. It is expected that the optimal portfolio of technological solutions will depends on each cluster’s specificity. Hence, close collaboration with industry and public sector bodies in each cluster will be essential in this phase, especially for clusters that have already conducted technology screening activities, e.g. the Scottish Net Zero Roadmap.

WP2- Enhanced JEDI-UK: In this phase, JEDI-UK will be extended to include the range of technical solutions identified from the industrial engagement activities conducted in WP1. The tool already contains detailed techno-economic representation of promising technologies for blue and green hydrogen production. In this phase the tool will be further enhanced 1) to account for clusters specific requirements, for instance, capacity of hydrogen production facilities and CO₂ pipeline sizing as well 2) to include further options which are not yet included in the tool, e.g., electrification.

WP3- Value creation in low carbon clusters: This WP will produce an assessment of the socio-economic impacts associated with the low-carbon solutions identified in WP1 and WP2. For each cluster, a detailed quantification of the Gross value Added (GVA) and direct jobs at sector level will be produced. The regional employment data collected in WP1 will be used to assess variations of the regional labour demand associated with low carbon pathways.

WP4- Employment transition: This WP will conduct an in-depth employment analysis specifying the corresponding demand for skills and job types across each cluster. The JEDI-UK already contains information of the skills and training requirements associated with the CCS industry. Here, the analysis will be replicated for other emerging sectors, e.g., Hydrogen, and it will be complemented with an in-depth analysis of regional statistics on skills (e.g., the OECD and ONS databases). This will allow to prepare a skill mismatch analysis detailing critical training and reskilling requirements at the regional level.