Pathway to world's first at-scale hydrogen production plant welcomed with Zero Carbon Humber bid

Zero Carbon Humber’s government backing paves the way for the world’s first at-scale hydrogen production plant to be built at Saltend.

The huge Equinor investment will anchor the massive carbon capture and storage scheme spanning the Humber, while providing the infrastructure to deliver the low or potentially no carbon fuel switching option to heavy industry.

It is a huge step in cleaning up the ��Ƶ’s most emission-intensive cluster, and was first revealed last summer.

PX Group took over Saltend Chemicals Park from BP three years ago, with a first phase plan to fuel switch gas with hydrogen at the on-site power plant, immediately cutting around 900,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere as it serves industrial customers there.

Geoff Holmes, chief executive of PX Group, said: “We are thrilled that the Zero Carbon Humber bid has received the green light to move onto the next stage of its development.

"Our Saltend Chemicals Park will be integral to the country’s first clean hydrogen plant - the centrepiece of the ZCH project - which strengthens the region’s credentials as the driving force behind the ��Ƶ energy transition.

Patrick Pogue, and Saltend Chemicals Park. (Image: PX Group)

“It is fantastic news for the Humber region and for Saltend which is quickly establishing itself at the heart of industrial decarbonisation. It is establishing itself as the ��Ƶ’s new manufacturing powerhouse. We continue to go from strength to strength and this reinforces the park as the go-to location for sustainable project investment.”

Ineos, fresh from taking over BP’s acetyls business on site, is forging ahead with a new plant, while Pensana is bringing complex chemical engineering to Saltend as it establishes a start point for a magnet metals supply chain. Vivergo is also gearing up to produce biofuel again after being mothballed for three years as it awaited legislative changes.

Patrick Pogue, group commercial development director at PX, said: "Zero Carbon Humber with H2H Saltend provides a platform for decarbonising the energy and feedstocks at Saltend which will deliver one of the largest low carbon manufacturing sites in the ��Ƶ. Today’s news is a considerable boost to the local economy.”

“Additionally Saltend has attracted significant investment in recent months from the likes of Pensana, which is a key player in the electric car and offshore wind market. We know that a key factor in Pensana choosing Saltend was the existing infrastructure, and the ability for companies to ‘plug and play’ on site: invest, launch and get up and running straight away.

“With the Vivergo bioethanol plant restarting, this is a hat-trick of recent successes for Saltend Chemicals Park.”

Words of welcome from the pipeline path

Zero Carbon Humber could capture 17 million tonnes of carbon, from Drax in the west, via SSE’s Keadby power cluster and on to British Steel. In return it could provide 10GW of hydrogen.

And partners across the piste have welcomed the £21.5 million of funding from BEIS announced in Wednesday.

At Selby in North Yorkshire, Drax Power Station would connect to the completed CO2 pipeline network, underpinning the scheme with bioenergy with carbon capture and storage – a vital negative emissions technology that it is pioneering - using the flue gas for further industrial production.

Will Gardiner, Drax chief executive, said: “This funding creates more momentum behind Zero Carbon Humber’s plans to decarbonise the ��Ƶ’s most carbon-intensive industrial cluster and to create and support tens of thousands of jobs. Drax has kickstarted the planning process for developing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, which is a landmark moment in our plans to become a carbon negative company by 2030.

“Drax’s first BECCS unit could be operational in 2027, delivering the ��Ƶ’s largest carbon capture project, permanently removing millions of tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year, while showcasing the ��Ƶ’s global leadership in a clean technology needed in the fight against climate change.”

From the location between Humber tributaries the pipeline would enter North Lincolnshire, taking in Keadby to the west of Scunthorpe.

It is the site of gas-fired power stations operating, in construction and being planned.

How SSE Thermal is depicting the process. (Image: SSE Thermal)

Stephen Wheeler, managing director of SSE Thermal, said: “This is fantastic news for the Humber and a major step towards the delivery of cutting-edge carbon capture projects like our own Keadby Three Power Station, as well as the production and transport of low-carbon hydrogen across the region.

“As the ��Ƶ’s most carbon-intensive region, the Humber has to be at the centre of the ��Ƶ’s climate strategy as we look to accelerate the transition to a net zero economy. With the ��Ƶ hosting COP26 this November, Zero Carbon Humber is a prime example of how we can deliver on our climate commitments in a way that supports high-quality jobs, stimulates growth, and ensures a just transition for communities.”

British Steel is the next stop on the pipeline - with National Grid Ventures a partner bringing transmission infrastructure to the fore.

Steelmaking and refining are the biggest polluting industries on the Humber.

Ron Deelen, departing chief executive of British Steel, said: “This is excellent news and I congratulate everyone involved in the bid. We have ambitious plans to invest in a range of technologies to reduce the carbon intensity of our operations, with solutions that are globally recognised and acceptable to customers.

"The development of the ZCH project, with the proposed installation of a dual CCS and hydrogen supply pipeline, will afford us the opportunity to utilise a range of techniques to reduce the carbon intensity of our operations.

“This project complements the long-term decarbonising technology roadmap of British Steel.”

Just as it is with the Jingye Group company, University of Sheffield is involved in ZCH with its Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

From Scunthorpe the pipeline is proposed to take in the South Bank refining cluster, with half in new ownership under Prax, following the deal with Total.

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Phillips 66 is forging its own proposal - also successful in the BEIS bidding - with neighbouring power supplier Vitol, looking at a southern route to sub-North Sea storage via existing import infrastructure direct to Theddletorpe.

In that cluster is Uniper, alongside Orsted’s offshore wind onshore substation, with clean hydrogen production eyed there. Scalable pilot projects are already being deployed, also with government backing.

Mike Lockett, Uniper ��Ƶ country chairman, said: “This is really great news for the Humber region and the project partners’ decarbonisation plans in the area. We know that hydrogen and the decarbonisation of industrial clusters, will be crucial to the ��Ƶ’s commitment to reach net-zero by 2050; the Zero Carbon Humber project will provide the infrastructure that enables Uniper’s ambitions for the development of clean hydrogen production at our Killingholme site.”

ZCH would then cross the Humber and head north, taking in Saltend where Triton Power should be that first recipient of low carbon hydrogen, produced from natural gas, switching out pure natural gas.

Working with Mitsubishi Power Europe to make that possible, Triton chief executive Mick Farr said: “Triton Power is delighted that the government - via Innovate ��Ƶ - has seen the unbelievable potential for the Humber to take centre stage in the country’s transition to net zero.

"Converting our turbine generators to burn hydrogen and then provide cogeneration to our customers at the chemicals park is both strategically right but also deliverable due to the skills and infrastructure that is unique to our partnership. We have often seen new initiatives fail due to lack of commitment and private sector investment but this time I feel the energy building around this exciting opportunity!”

From Saltend ZCH’s final element takes it to Centrica’s Easington terminal, where it links with the Northern Endurance Partnership backed by other oil majors, with Equinor and National Grid also on board. It too was successful in the funding bid.

Greg McKenna, director of Centrica Storage Ltd, said: “Hydrogen will be a key enabler of the ��Ƶ’s transition to Net Zero, and this bid win is a significant step forward in the decarbonisation of the Humber region. We will continue to collaborate with members of the partnership and government to help create the world’s first net zero industrial cluster, which will, in turn, create thousands of new green jobs in the area.”

How the Northern Endurance Partnership proposes to play a key role in the ��Ƶ's pursuit of Net Zero - combining carbon emissions from the Humber and Tees. — On from the Humber: How the Northern Endurance Partnership proposes to play a key role in the ��Ƶ's pursuit of Net Zero - combining carbon emissions with those from the Tees.

While ensuring existing heavy industry is ready for what 2050 will legislate against when it comes to carbon emissions, ZCH is said to offer further potential for other future projects to attract inward investment and cement the Humber’s reputation as a world leader.

It includes integrating offshore wind power into hydrogen production, decarbonising the regional gas grid, supplying hydrogen transport fuelling hubs and providing links to CO2 storage to other industrial clusters, via shipping, while also creating the world’s first sustainable maritime refuelling port.

Simon Bird, ABP’s Humber director, said: “We welcome the Government’s support for this important decarbonisation infrastructure project for the Humber region. The country’s largest ports complex, the Humber is the ��Ƶ’s Energy Estuary, and plays a critical role in the renewable energy industry. Green energy is at the heart of ABP’s growth aspirations, combining offshore wind, carbon capture and storage and hydrogen production.”