Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart has welcomed the decision to progress Equinor’s Hydrogen to Humber (H2H) Saltend low-carbon hydrogen production facility as part of Phase-2 of the Government’s cluster sequencing process.
Located on the banks of the Humber, Saltend Chemicals Park is home to a cluster of world-class chemicals and renewable energy businesses. It is where Equinor proposes to site its 600MW H2H Saltend low-carbon hydrogen production plant, which aims to be a first-of-a-kind hydrogen facility with carbon capture capability.
The proposals will allow industrial customers at Saltend and nearby to switch from fossil fuels to hydrogen-fuelled energy, reducing carbon dioxide emissions initially by nearly 900,000 tonnes each year as a result. It will also act as the kickstarter project for the wider Zero Carbon Humber scheme, which aims to create the world’s first carbon-neutral industrial region by 2040.
H2H Saltend will now proceed to the due diligence stage of the Phase-2 cluster sequencing process to allow them to connect to the East Coast Cluster’s CO2 transport and storage infrastructure, with the intention of being operational in the mid-2020s.
Grete Tveit, senior vice-president for low-carbon solutions at Equinor, said: “It is fantastic news that the UK Government has selected to progress H2H Saltend to the next stage. This project will help decarbonise vital and carbon-intensive industries, preserve jobs and create new ones, as well as provide local supply chain opportunities. This further strengthens the UK’s position as a world leader in the energy transition.”
Mr Stuart said: “I am delighted that the government has confirmed that H2H Saltend will proceed to the next stage. I look forward to seeing its progress as it helps to create new high-paid, high-skill jobs across the Humber with our region leading the way in the Government’s aim to make the UK net-zero by 2050.”
