Centrica and Equinor have signed a cooperation agreement to explore developing a low-carbon hydrogen production hub at Easington in East Yorkshire, further strengthening the region’s growing status as the UK’s foremost hydrogen super place. Under the cooperation plan, the Centrica-operated area at Easington could transition to a low-carbon hydrogen production hub over the coming decade. This would support Humber’s decarbonisation ambitions and help the UK meet its Net Zero goals and hydrogen production targets. Such a transition would also safeguard many of the existing jobs within this historical gas terminal whilst creating new jobs for the future.
Currently up to one-third of the UK’s total gas supply enters via Easington, much of it from Equinor’s Norwegian facilities. Easington is also situated close to some of the world’s largest offshore wind farm developments, offering huge potential for both blue and green hydrogen production.
The area is also earmarked as one of the landing points for the East Coast Cluster’s carbon capture pipeline, which would transport CO2 for safe storage deep under the seabed. As such, it is a key location within the Zero Carbon Humber partnership which is planned to provide regional hydrogen and CO2 pipelines between the area’s major energy producers and carbon-intensive industries. As the UK’s most carbon-intensive industrial region, such low-carbon projects and infrastructure are vital to tackling climate change whilst future-proofing key industries and creating new jobs.