
Hydrogen Planning & Consenting Guidance – What Developers Need to Know
The Scottish Government has published new Hydrogen Planning and Consenting Guidance (February 2026), providing long-awaited clarity on how green and blue hydrogen projects should progress through Scotland’s planning and regulatory system. Importantly, the guidance does not apply to grey hydrogen, which remains unsupported due to unabated emissions. The guidance confirms that hydrogen is now firmly embedded in Scotland’s planning and energy policy framework, with strong support through the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), the Hydrogen Action Plan and national net-zero commitments. In principle, planning authorities are encouraged to take a positive and proportionate approach to hydrogen development — but only where impacts, risks and safety are clearly addressed. A central message throughout the guidance is the critical importance of early pre-application engagement. Developers are strongly encouraged to engage early with planning authorities, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and (where relevant) marine regulators to agree



