TEESSIDE could provide Britain with a new ‘green’ energy source, according to a North-East MP lobbying for the region to take a lead in hydrogen technology.

Labour MP for Redcar, Anna Turley, has led the establishment of a new group in Parliament to lobby for hydrogen energy projects.

Gas networks across the UK are looking to hydrogen as a future energy source. It is a low carbon fuel that could help us to meet our energy and climate challenges. A conversion from natural gas to hydrogen to heat our homes would drastically reduce UK carbon emissions, sustain and create thousands of high-quality jobs, and trigger innovations in other industries such as transport and electricity generation.

Teesside produces around half of the hydrogen produced in the UK so our area is well placed to help deliver this energy revolution.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Hydrogen, which Anna chairs, has the support of major UK gas networks - Northern Gas Networks, Cadent, Southern Gas Networks, Wales & West Utilities – showing the industry is ready to get behind the push. Trade unions representing gas industry workers - GMB and Unison – are also behind the push for hydrogen.

Plans announced last year by Northern Gas Networks have a vision for hydrogen produced on Teesside to be pumped to Leeds to heat and power homes there.

Commenting on the launch of the new group, Anna said:

“As North Sea gas supplies decline and we look to new low carbon fuels to meet out climate targets, hydrogen is going to be crucial. It is clean, doesn’t need to be extracted from the ground, and best of all, we already make tonnes of it on Teesside. Powering Britain with Teesside hydrogen would deliver a big boost to the local economy and create thousands more jobs.

“We have started this group in Parliament to push the issue up the agenda so that it is taken seriously be government. The technology needs government to play its part creating an environment for hydrogen to be rolled out widely. The Minister for Energy and Clean Growth, Claire Perry, has been very supportive of the group being established which is a positive start.”