Climate Change Committee visit HyNet

Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee, Chris Stark, has visited HyNet, the UK’s leading decarbonisation cluster. On the hottest day in the UK ever recorded, Stark saw how HyNet will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, being released into our atmosphere from 2025 onwards. By 2030, the project will be capturing and storing 10 million tonnes each year, a quarter of all emissions across the north west of the UK.

The project will produce, transport and store low carbon hydrogen to give industry an alternative to fossil fuels, such as natural gas. 30 organisations, such as Unilever, Pilkington Glass, Kelloggs and Heinz, have already signed up to make the switch. HyNet will also capture, and lock away, carbon dioxide emissions directly from industry and supply low carbon hydrogen to heat homes and businesses.

The tour, organised by IGEM, the Institute for Gas Engineers and Managers, showcases the UK’s growing hydrogen economy, enabling Stark to see for himself how hydrogen will enable large scale decarbonisation of how we power the UK economy, and heat our homes.

HyNet is predicted to create over 6,000 jobs across the region and bring investment work £31 billion into the UK economy, helping to level up across the country.

Chris Stark, CEO, Climate Change Committee said:

“The UK’s climate goals will only be achieved with genuine ambition to decarbonise British industry in this decade. The opportunity is to cut carbon, while growing regional employment. HyNet is the kind of bold, nationally significant project we need to modernise and decarbonise multiple industries at scale. It can be a template for similar projects across the UK”

David Parkin, Project Director for HyNet and President of IGEM said:

“It was a pleasure to welcome Chris, and members of the Climate Change Committee team, to HyNet. HyNet is the UK’s most advanced decarbonisation cluster and will be building the UK’s first large scale, low carbon hydrogen production plant, transport system and storage. The project is helping to make the UK a global leader in these key industries as we move towards a net zero future.”

Oliver Lancaster, CEO of IGEM, said:

“Our members are working hard to ready the gas system for a hydrogen future. This collective action positions the UK at the front of the thriving global hydrogen economy from production, transportation and storage, through to flexibly satisfying the demand from industry, power generation, buildings and transport that are developing at a local, regional and national level.”