Infrastructure developer Carlton Power has secured planning permission for a £300 million decarbonisation project.
The 200 megawatt (MW) Trafford Green Hydrogen scheme will be Greater Manchester’s first low carbon hydrogen fuel hub.
First announced in March last year, the project, which will be located within Carlton Power’s Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, is now the UK’s largest consented green hydrogen scheme.
It is hoped the scheme will be a catalyst for more low carbon generation and greater energy security in the north-west of England.
In its first phase the Trafford Green Hydrogen scheme is likely to create around 200 construction jobs over a two-year period.
A further 10 full-time operational jobs will also be needed, with future stages scaling up in tandem with demand for hydrogen in the region.
Financial support is still needed from the UK Government’s Hydrogen Investment Package, a multi-million pound programme to encourage the growth of the hydrogen economy across the UK.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester said: “The development of the Trafford Green Hydrogen project, as a part of the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, will be a spur for industry and transport operators in the Greater Manchester region to accelerate their plans to use green hydrogen and achieve their net zero carbon targets. It also provides an important stimulus to job creation in Greater Manchester and further investment in renewable energy generation which will, in time, provide greater energy security. I’m delighted that Greater Manchester is in the vanguard of creating a vibrant hydrogen economy in this country, and I urge the UK Government to support this pioneering scheme.”
Carlton Power is taking forward the project with the support and involvement of a local consortium, comprising Manchester Metropolitan University, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Trafford Council, Cadent Gas and Electricity North West.
The proposed hydrogen hub facilities at Trafford Park, Barrow and Langage will produce and store hydrogen at scale, helping to integrate renewable energy on a regional scale.
If built, the project will be located next to one of Europe’s largest energy storage facilities based on liquid air storage – the 250MWh Carlton Highview Power project.
Other forms of low carbon energy infrastructure will also be operational in close proximity.
Eric Adams, hydrogen projects director at Carlton Power said: “Trafford Green Hydrogen is ideally situated to provide local industry and transport operators with low-carbon hydrogen fuel. It will also stimulate investment in the region’s energy infrastructure and accelerate the region’s energy transition. The economic and environmental benefits are clear. Working with our local partners, our focus now turns towards securing the UK Government’s support to this project and our proposed green hydrogen schemes at Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria and Langage in the South West of England.”
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