People across Teesside are being asked for their views on a transformational energy project that is set to bring more than 700 jobs to the region.
The local consultation will run for over six weeks and is for bp's HyGreen, which is targeting up to 500 MW of hydrogen production by 2030, delivering up to five per cent of the UK Government’s hydrogen production target of 10GW by 2030.
The community consultation launches tomorrow and runs until July 6. It will be open to the local community and stakeholders to have their say on project plans, which would be built on former industrial land and use renewable and low carbon power sources, such as solar or wind, to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using a process called water electrolysis.
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It aims to fuel the development of Teesside into the UK’s first major hydrogen hub, leading the way for large-scale decarbonisation of local industries and heavy transport in the UK.
bp will share its initial design for the facility with the community and invite feedback, before finalising the design and submitting a planning application to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
Matt Williamson, UK Head of Hydrogen for bp, said: “At bp, we’re backing hydrogen to help Teesside and the UK decarbonise its industry and mobility. We believe HyGreen Teesside has the potential to transform energy use, the economy and skills in the region and we’re delighted to be launching this consultation and sharing our plans for HyGreen Teesside with the public.
"We’re looking forward to speaking to the community, businesses and other stakeholders over the next few weeks and hearing their views.”
The UK Government has committed to achieving net zero in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Key to achieving this will be ensuring carbon intensive sectors are able to decarbonise, and hydrogen is set to play an essential role in that process, particularly in industrial activity that is difficult and expensive to electrify.
HyGreen Teesside can help these ‘hard-to-abate’ sectors, and has already signed Memorandums Understanding (MoUs) to explore collaboration with a number of businesses in the region.
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More broadly the industrial sector in Teesside is home to five of the UK’s top 25 emitters and is concentrated in a tightly packed area, making it a great location to decarbonise effectively and efficiently.
Information is available on the HyGreen website www.hygreenteesside.co.uk as well as at libraries in the Redcar area. The public information events will take place on the following dates:
- Tuesday 6 June, 15:30-19:00, The Seaview Business Centre, Turner Street, Redcar
- Saturday 10 June, 12:00 – 17:00, Tuned-In, Majuba Rd, Redcar
- Inspire2Learn, Wednesday 21 June, 14:00 – 19:00, South Bank, Normanby Rd, Middlesbrough.
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