A new report titled “East Hydrogen Vision” has revealed how the region is poised to seize the hydrogen opportunity, helping to decarbonise heavy industry, power generation and transport, creating and protecting thousands of jobs and keeping key industries thriving in the region.
The hydrogen economy in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire is already in development, with 17 hydrogen production projects announced, bringing 3.9GW of hydrogen production capacity. More than 160 different industrial and power generation sites across the region have already requested 47 TWh of hydrogen per year, and this is set to grow. Hydrogen pipelines developed by East Coast Hydrogen are planned by Cadent and National Gas, and these will connect supply to demand, with large-scale onshore and offshore geological storage of hydrogen under exploration.
The new report describes how the hydrogen opportunity in the region extends far beyond the existing proposals and outlines how by 2050 almost half (44%) of the region's current energy demand could fuel-switch to low carbon hydrogen.
Highlights from the report:
· Hydrogen could reduce the region's industrial carbon emissions by 9.6million tonnes of CO2 annually, equivalent to taking 5.7million cars off the road
· Hydrogen economy could create an additional £3.4bn of local Gross Value Added per year
· The investment in a new hydrogen economy is expected to create, secure and protect nearly 32,500 jobs
· The East Midlands and South Yorkshire region will require nearly 65TWh of low-carbon hydrogen production per annum by 2050 to help achieve Net Zero targets
The report also describes how biomethane will play a key role in the decarbonisation of the gas networks in the near term as it is expected to play a crucial transitionary role in the journey to net zero by reducing the carbon intensity of the gas grid. Having first been connected to the gas grid in 2014, by 2032, biomethane production is forecast to reach 1.2TWh per year.
Sally Brewis, Head of Regional Development at Cadent said: “The East Midlands and South Yorkshire have all the key ingredients to kick-start the hydrogen economy, helping local businesses to decarbonise, protecting and creating jobs, and ensuring the region continues to thrive and grow.”
Richard Grice, Interim Executive Director for Place at East Midlands Combined County Authority said: “The region has a rich industrial heritage and established itself as an energy powerhouse with coal-fired electricity generation in MegaWatt Valley. With 17 hydrogen production projects already in development across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, it has the opportunity to be at the forefront of the next energy revolution, with Net Zero and the protection of our local industries now being the goal.”
DOWNLOAD the report: East Hydrogen Vision
For media enquiries, contact:
Nicola Swaney
Head of External Affairs, East Midlands Combined County Authority