New Energy Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan has been told the “Humber can do this” as she completed a whistle-stop fact-finding tour of facilities focusing on the race to Net Zero.
The first visit to the region came after her lockdown appointment following Kwasi Kwarteng’s promotion to Secretary of State at BEIS. He succeeded Alok Sharma, who will preside over the COP26 summit in November.
She took in Saltend Chemicals Park, meeting leading figures from the Zero Carbon Humber collaboration and the wider Northern Endurance Partnership, as well as Phillips 66 Humber Refinery, where carbon capture and green hydrogen work is also ongoing.
There was also a stop off at Siemens Gamesa’s expanding blade plant too, hot on the heels of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s appearance last week.
Saltend is the site of Equinor’s Hydrogen to Humber proposal, the anchor element of the pan-regional plan that links Drax in the far west to sub-North Sea storage for carbon capture off the East coast, while sending the low carbon fuel in the opposite direction.
She toured the on-site Triton Power Station which will switch to a hydrogen fuel blend, feeding from the proposed Equinor plant, and power the production of low carbon chemicals and maritime fuels for the international market. It is seen as accelerating decarbonisation across the Humber by lowering emissions at one of the most industrialised sites.
Mick Farr, chief executive of Triton Power, said: “The most meaningful thing I can say today is that ‘we can do this!’
“We have the location, the assets, the technology, the people and the skills and experience. When you combine all this and consider how fast this initiative has come together and the commitment that each partner has shown, I believe this is a truly compelling vision for the 海角视频 and the region to deliver the energy transition that the region and the country needs.”
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Northern Endurance Partnership pulls the Humber’s larger project together with Teesside proposals, feeding into the same offshore infrastructure.
March saw Government announce that all three aligned projects had been awarded funding. The three bids amount to £229 million in private and public backing, with industry contributing two-thirds of the total. It supports the next stage in development.
Mrs Trevelyan said: “We want the 海角视频 to be a world-leader in hydrogen production and carbon capture and it was a pleasure to see up close some of the latest technology at Saltend Chemicals Park which will be vital as we transition to a green economy.
“These cutting-edge projects are vital in helping decarbonise one of the Humber’s most industrialised areas, making it fit for the future and creating high-skilled employment in the region while supporting our climate commitments.”
Speaking on behalf of the ZCH partnership, Alex Grant, Equinor senior vice president and 海角视频 country manager, said: ”Working together, the Humber and Teesside offer a unique opportunity to decarbonise nearly half of the 海角视频’s industrial cluster emissions through the shared transport and carbon storage network provided by the Northern Endurance Partnership.
"There are several projects in the Humber and Teesside across a range of sectors, including H2H Saltend for hydrogen, that can advance quickly to meet the Government’s Ten Point Plan if the network is in place, allowing existing industries to thrive in a low carbon future and creating new opportunities for highly-skilled jobs in the 海角视频’s industrial heartland.”