SSE Plc and Equinor ASA are consulting on plans for a major hydrogen plant in the north of England that could be operational by 2030.
The 900-megawatt Keadby Hydrogen Power Station will be designed to work on natural gas if the hydrogen infrastructure isn’t fully in place, SSE said in a statement. The plant, adjacent to the UK’s largest onshore wind farm, will enter environmental scoping in April before the two companies begin a public consultation period, followed by a full planning application.
Hydrogen is increasingly an important option for hard-to-electrify industries as it can be burned without producing carbon dioxide. However, the infrastructure for industry to make use of it isn’t yet available in many places.
The government earlier this week said it will allow gas-fired plants to be built into the next decade to meet energy needs, watering down a previous commitment for a net-zero grid by 2035. In many cases, the hope is that the stations could be converted to hydrogen in future and support a flexible, greener network.
Hydrogen has already faced some setbacks in the UK, after the government canceled two trial programs for using the fuel in home heating.
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