Humber Hydrogen network would save 4,000 jobs in steel and chemicals, analysis finds
The Humber is expected to be one of the leading contenders for the UK’s first hydrogen network alongside Teesside.
New Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has been urged to make the Humber the UK’s first hydrogen network, with new research showing it could safeguard 4,000 jobs in the under-pressure steel and chemical industries.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is to select one industrial region in the UK to receive £500m to create the first regional hydrogen transport and storage network.
The Humber is expected to be one of the leading contenders alongside Teesside, and four leading energy companies - National Gas, Centrica, Equinor and SSE Thermal - are helming the bid.
New research, commissioned by the Humber Hydrogen group, has found the region would safeguard 4,000 jobs in critical industries such as steel.
This was announced at the campaign’s regional launch in Hull on Thursday night, with the support of businesses and regional politicians.
This comes after research from June revealed that this could add £17bn to the Humber’s economy in gross value added.
Ian Radley, the chief commercial officer at National Gas, one of the main organisation’s behind the project, said: “We’re calling on the UK Government to back the Humber as the obvious choice for Britain’s first hydrogen cluster.
“Developing this vital infrastructure in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire will bring significant investment to the region and create new opportunities for the communities that have powered British industry for generations.
“The Humber’s skilled workforce has been instrumental to Britain’s industrial success for decades and stands ready to lead the next chapter, unlocking the UK’s potential as a global leader in hydrogen.”
Pheobe Fradley, an apprentice at Easington Terminal, said: “Hydrogen and low-carbon projects have the potential to completely transform the Humber.
“They can bring skilled jobs, investment, and long-term opportunities to the area while supporting the UK’s energy transition.
“For my generation, this investment is vital. It shows there is a future in engineering and energy that is sustainable, innovative, and forward-thinking.”
The Humber is the UK’s most carbon intensive industrial area and so the firms say this network is essential to support the Government’s bid for clean energy by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
It would allow British Steel, in Scunthorpe, to reduce its emissions by using green hydrogen instead of methane for its power.
The energy would also allow Yara International to restart the UK’s only production ready ammonia plant in Hull, to help Yorkshire farmers with locally-produced fertiliser, with the sector affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The firms say that the Government has until the start of October to make a decision, otherwise businesses may start pulling investment.
Dr Iain Harris, managing director of the Humber Energy Board, said: “Establishing the UK’s first hydrogen network in the Humber represents a generational opportunity for our region. The Humber, with its geological assets, world-class industrial infrastructure and skilled workforce, is uniquely positioned to lead the UK’s energy transition.
“Humber Hydrogen, driven by partners with deep expertise in energy and related infrastructure, will create diverse jobs and skills opportunities, supporting the Government’s growth agenda in industries critical to the economy of both today and the future.”