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Global attention is on the º£½ÇÊÓƵ as it prepares to host COP26, with the huge East Coast Cluster carbon capture and storage proposal being backed as a government forerunner to clean up heavy industry.

A centre-point of the proposal linking the Humber and Tees is Equinor’s plans for hydrogen production at Saltend, East Yorkshire - on the banks of the ‘Energy Estuary’.

Irene Rummelhoff, the Norwegian company’s executive vice president for marketing, midstream and processing, was on patch this past week to take in the developments.

Read more: Carbon capture sequencing success lapped up across the Humber

The company’s Hydrogen 2 Humber Saltend project is an anchor part of the Zero Carbon Humber dual pipeline network stretching from Drax in the west to Keadby - where it is partnering with SSE on power production - British Steel, the Immingham/Killingholme cluster, Saltend then offshore from Easington.

During her visit she participated in an exclusive question and answer session with Business Live.

Why is H2H Saltend and wider Zero Carbon Humber such a strong proposition?

The Humber is the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s largest carbon-emitting industrial cluster, with industrial emissions larger than any other cluster in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ. Saltend Chemicals Park alone itself emits more than some other individual clusters.

Decarbonising the Humber is essential for the º£½ÇÊÓƵ government to meet its 2030 ten-point plan and 2035 sixth carbon budget target. With the right, scale, partnerships, industry and geology the next significant step in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s decarbonisation really needs to start in the Humber.

The region has a strong history relating to the energy industry, with energy generation, imports, transportation and usage in its traditional industries. Over the last decade or so it has made clear steps to transition towards greener alternatives and this creates an attractive environment for organisations like Equinor.

We like to say that we are not in the Humber by chance, we are here because of the low carbon and renewable opportunities, experiences, energy demand, diversity of industries, geology, and economic environment. We have also been a major gas supplier to the º£½ÇÊÓƵ for many decades and our hydrogen and CCS plans allow us to further utilise our existing infrastructure and build on strong relationships we have with our customers in the region and beyond.

This transition, to transform traditional industries that support thousands of jobs and skills in local communities, to low carbon is an exciting challenge. It is vital if we are to achieve net zero whilst also achieving economic growth. We are confident that this can be achieved in the Humber and will be proud to be at the forefront of this change.

Using both carbon capture and low carbon hydrogen, enabled by shared regional infrastructure and undersea safe geological CO2 storage, we can fuel switch and capture emissions from some of the largest emitters in the region.

While traveling around the Humber and visiting Saltend Chemicals Park, I’ve seen it with my own eyes the unique offer that the Humber has in terms of the concentration and diversification of both hydrogen fuel switching industries and CO2 capture projects, makes it an unparalleled opportunity.

The H2H Saltend project, led by Equinor, which will be one of the first at-scale low carbon hydrogen production facilities in the country, will kick-start this transformation.

Where does the Humber rank in global decarbonisation activity?

Equinor has an ambition to lead the way in shaping the future of European hydrogen and CCUS. This includes significant share of the CO2 transport and storage and hydrogen markets, as well as direct involvement with multiple hydrogen clusters.

The º£½ÇÊÓƵ is one of our major growth areas, building on our strong portfolio of projects around the North Sea coastlines and traditional links through oil and gas, plus more recently through offshore wind including Dogger Bank.

The Humber is at the very centre of this, and we believe could become an international lighthouse for low carbon technologies. Equinor has a pivotal role in the region. We are involved in multiple major hydrogen and CCS projects, and leading on the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund bid which has paved the way for the creation of a Zero Carbon Humber. As the kickstarter project for this wider scheme, H2H Saltend is one of our most mature projects, seeking to come online by 2026.

Are your Humber projects regarded by Equinor as at the forefront of addressing climate change?

The Humber represents one of the best industrial regions we have ever assessed for application of low carbon solutions including hydrogen and CCS. Its scale and diversity of industries make it the perfect location for deploying a wide range of technologies across a diversity of sectors. Importantly this will create an international lighthouse for the º£½ÇÊÓƵ but will also be transferable to other regions in whole or in part around the world.

From a business point of view, we need to focus where the opportunities and demands are greatest, and there is the chance to scale up rapidly.

The º£½ÇÊÓƵ Government’s legally binding climate change targets set clear milestones along the journey to net-zero. Our history in the region, including our successful experience of offshore wind energy and our low carbon solutions expertise, gives us the confidence that these projects can be delivered and also make a tangible impact in º£½ÇÊÓƵ climate change ambitions.

We were delighted that the East Coast Cluster (ECC) in which Equinor is a partner was selected as one of the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s first two CCUS clusters. This was a very important milestone for what we are planning to build together with partners, industries and communities in the Humber.

What is still required from government to make this happen?

The East Coast Cluster, which comprises Zero Carbon Humber as well as the Teesside cluster and offshore storage, submitted a very impressive bid into Phase One of the Government’s cluster sequencing’ process which has been successful. We were delighted to learn that the Government saw the strength of our offer to decarbonise nearly 50 per cent of º£½ÇÊÓƵ industrial cluster emissions in two of its major industrial regions.

This means that the East Coast Cluster is on course for deployment by the mid-2020s. Now the focus will move to Phase Two of this process which will consider the selection of individual projects within those clusters, such as H2H Saltend.

Parallel to this process, we also need to see the development of business models which will provide the commercial framework to execute these projects and generate these new markets alongside thousands of jobs and the economic benefit to the º£½ÇÊÓƵ.

We’re also very conscious of the need for public acceptance. Education and understanding of technologies like carbon capture and hydrogen is key to building confidence among the local communities who will experience these changes and benefit from these low carbon opportunities.

Do you anticipate anything from COP26 to further stimulate this?

Global commitment is key to reaching net zero in line with the Paris accord. I hope that the summit will confirm the commitment and that it will result in a drive towards projects that can decarbonise at scale and cost-effectively.

COP26 is also an important international showcase for the º£½ÇÊÓƵ, it needs to demonstrate that the º£½ÇÊÓƵ is leading the way on the innovation and transition needed to achieve net zero. Backing schemes like Zero Carbon Humber, with its multiple ground-breaking projects, sends a clear message to the world and provides practical examples of industrial decarbonisation for others to follow.

What size team is now working on this, and what is your take on how it is coming together from the visit?

The Equinor team in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ is growing rapidly! Our company now has 40 employees working within its low-carbon solutions division, and there are over 100 people from other business areas in Equinor who are using their experience to help deliver the projects.

Currently, we have a good mix of experienced team members in Norway, many of whom have worked on industrial decarbonisation, carbon capture and hydrogen projects across the world, combined with a local team which is embedded in the community and demonstrates strong local expertise.

It’s quite early days in terms of supply chains and wider opportunities for SMEs, but we’re keen to promote local content where possible and are working closely with our ZCH partners the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre to map out the opportunities and consider how º£½ÇÊÓƵ suppliers can fulfil this.

In November, the H2H Saltend team are hosting their first supply chain opportunities events in the region, and I’d encourage local businesses to attend this if they have something to offer.

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