In October, the Government announced that England’s east coast would be the site of a pioneering new scheme to reduce carbon emissions from industry, by producing and distributing hydrogen at scale.
East Coast Hydrogen is a collaboration between Cadent, Northern Gas Networks and National Grid covering an area that includes the North-East and East Midlands regions of England.
As we recently set out in our Innovation Impacts research, gas network companies have proposed to invest £262m in the project by 2032, which could mean the companies and their supply chain partners create as many as 1,000 jobs in the region.
The aim is to be ready to transport hydrogen to where it is needed to reduce carbon emissions from heavy industry, heating, power generation and transport.
Joining together hydrogen production sites in Industrial Clusters in the Humber and Teesside, and working with initiatives like Zero Carbon Humber, which brings together major companies like British Steel, Equinor and Mitsubishi Power, the project is how it will use its size to deliver economies of scale that will help drive down the costs of production and delivering the hydrogen.
In our handy Industrial Clusters infographic, we’ve set out where these clusters are, how much carbon they emit and what projects gas network companies are planning to reduce those emissions.
By joining those sites together, the project will support the production and storage of hydrogen at scale, driving down costs in the process. This will then be followed by connection to HyNet North West and other hydrogen production sites in Cumbria and East Anglia.
As with other Industrial Cluster projects, it will be joined to National Grid’s Project Union, which plans to build a ‘hydrogen backbone’ across the country, which will ensure safe, secure and reliable hydrogen supplies to some of our world-leading energy intensive businesses.
It’s the perfect example of how investment in gas network infrastructure will act as the platform on which Britain’s Net Zero economy is built, creating a hydrogen network with as little cost as possible by repurposing existing gas pipelines, building new pipelines only if needed, and how tomorrow’s heat is today’s opportunity.
Notes to editor
Gas Goes Green #H2Explainers are a series of blogs setting all the key information you need to know about how Britain’s gas networks are working to deliver hydrogen to our homes, as part of our 'Tomorrow's Heat, Today's Opportunity' campaign. Check out the ENA Newsroom to find other articles and updates from both gas and electricity network companies.
About Energy Networks Association
Energy Networks Association (ENA) is the industry body representing the electricity wires, gas pipes and energy system in the UK and Ireland.
ENA helps its members meet the challenge of delivering electricity and gas to communities across the UK and Ireland safely, sustainably and reliably.
Its members include every major electricity and gas network operator in the UK and Ireland, independent operators, National Grid ESO which operates the electricity system in Great Britain and National Gas which operates the gas system in Great Britain. Its affiliate membership also includes companies with an interest in energy, including Heathrow Airport and Network Rail.
What are energy network operators?
Energy network operators manage and maintain the wires, pipes and other infrastructure which delivers electricity and gas to your home, business and community. They are private companies which are regulated by Ofgem and employ around 40,000 people in Great Britain.
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Press contacts for journalists
Ed Gill
Communications Lead, Gas Goes Green
+44 (0)20 4599 7684
edward.gill@energynetworks.org