HyNet Secures Funding Boost
Otto Simon • March 22, 2021
HyNet secures £72m decarbonisation funding boost
The HyNet North West hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS) project is being developed by a group comprising Progressive Energy, Cadent, CF Fertilisers, Eni UK, Essar, Hanson, INOVYN and the University of Chester. The project aims to decarbonise industry by capturing and storing emissions, converting natural gas into low carbon hydrogen and providing a blend of hydrogen and natural gas to local homes and businesses. Creating a hydrogen economy across the North West, the project will repurpose oil and gas facilities for carbon transport and storage and aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 1 million tonnes per year from 2025, rising to a reduction of 10 million tonnes per year from 2030.
On 17th March, the HyNet North West project shared the news that they’ve been awarded £33m in funding from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) government body. Supported by a further £39m of private funding from the HyNet consortium, the funding will help accelerate a final investment decision in 2023 for the initial phase and become operational in 2025.
This project is an essential part of the UK Government’s 10-point-plan for a green industrial revolution and the project will help transition the UK to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The North West industrial cluster which stretches from Flintshire and Wrexham, through Cheshire, Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester into Lancashire will be the main area of focus for the project. This area boasts the largest concentration of advanced manufacturing and chemical production in the UK, the area is home to a concentration of energy-intensive users, and so the project will pave the way for industrial decarbonisation across the country.
Otto Simon is delighted by the opportunities this funding will create for the North West, and is proud to be supporting the development of a hydrogen economy. As a member of the North West Hydrogen Alliance, Otto Simon is currently supporting pioneering UK hydrogen projects, providing practical hands-on engineering expertise to the feasibility studies, due diligence, commercialisation and re-purposing of conventional gas equipment to utilise blended hydrogen or pure hydrogen as a fuel source.
We are currently working with Progressive Energy on the Industrial Fuel Switching programme, part of the HyNet project responsible for demonstrating the feasibility of using a blended and a pure hydrogen fuel supply for industrial sites in the North West, including Pilkington UK Ltd. The project is also investigating the conversion to hydrogen of several major industrial plants, including boilers, kilns, furnaces and heaters for major companies. The plants will be supplied by low carbon hydrogen by pipelines from the production plant being development at Stanlow under the Hydrogen Supply programme. Otto Simon also supported the HyDeploy project at Keele which trialled the use of blended hydrogen in domestic settings.
The HyNet North West project underpins a regional commitment to carbon neutrality with additional exciting opportunities being explored and advanced by Net Zero North West. Visit the HyNet website for more information.
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