Equinor has received local council planning permission for its H2H Saltend low carbon hydrogen plant project near Hull.
The Norwegian energy giant said the 600MW H2H Saltend project is one of the first of its kind and scale to be granted planning permission in the UK after it received the backing of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Located at the Saltend Chemicals Park near Hull, Equinor said the project will help to establish the surrounding Humber industrial region as an “international hub for low carbon hydrogen whilst significantly reducing carbon emissions”.
The company said the planning approval comes at a “vital time” ahead of a potential application into the UK government’s forthcoming ‘Cluster Sequencing Track-1 Expansion’ process, which is expected to launch this year.
The expansion process will select decarbonisation projects in both the Humber and Teesside which can connect to the East Coast Cluster’s carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCS) infrastructure.
The cluster process forms part of the UK government’s overall ‘CCUS Vision’, which it unveiled last year.
H2h Saltend project
Equinor said its H2H project is due to be operational around 2030 and will help to reduce Saltend’s emissions by up to one third by providing low carbon hydrogen for use in chemical processes at the park.
The hydrogen will also directly replace natural gas in nearby industrial facilities, reducing the carbon intensity of their products.
In addition, hydrogen produced from H2H Saltend will be blended with natural gas at Equinor and SSE Thermal’s on-site Triton power station.
© Supplied by EquinorIn total, Equinor said it plans to 1.8 GW of low carbon hydrogen within the region, close to 20% of the UK’s 2030 target.
Equinor said the project will also capture and store around 900,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions offshore each year, equivalent to taking 500,000 cars off the road.
The captured CO2 will be transported as part of the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), an offshore CCS project in development at the Endurance field in the North Sea.
H2H Saltend joins the Drax BECCS and Keadby Carbon Capture Power Station as projects along the NEP pipeline route with planning permission secured.
Equinor holds a 45% stake in the NEP alongside BP (45%) and TotalEnergies (10%).
The NEP is one of several offshore CCS projects awarded licences by the North Sea Transition Authority which are starting to lock in partnerships with industrial emitters.
H2H to ‘kickstart’ Humber decarbonisation
Equinor’s H2H Saltend project director Derek Ho said after receiving planning permission the project project could help to “kick-start multiple decarbonisation initiatives in the Humber”.
“It is an important first step in creating a low carbon hydrogen economy and achieving net zero in the Humber, safeguarding local industries and creating greater opportunities including new jobs and skills, whilst helping the UK to tackle climate change,” Mr Ho said.
© Supplied by Northern Endurance P“This decision comes at a very opportune moment, as we await the launch of the Government’s next phase of the Cluster Sequencing process for the Humber, and it puts H2H Saltend in a strong position, should we submit a bid.”
East Riding of Yorkshire Council leader Anne Handley said the region can be a “leading light in the transition to a net zero economy”.
Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Lord Callanan said the planning approval is a “vital step forward” in decarbonising the Humber while delivering jobs and growth to the region.
“CCUS clusters will be the starting point for a new industry in the UK, which is why we’ve committed up to £20 billion in early support and expect to bring forward 4GW of low carbon hydrogen production by 2030,” Lord Callanan said.
Recommended for you
