By Steve Fraser
Chief Executive Officer, Cadent
The UK is at a turning point on its road to Net Zero.
With COP26 now just six months away, and the country still suffering through a global pandemic, bold and ambitious decisions now could set the course for years to come.
No project could be as transformational as
HyNet North West.
A hydrogen and carbon capture project based in the birthplace of the industrial revolution, this project could kick-start the hydrogen economy whilst developing the North West as a global energy and skills leader for decades to come.
HyNet North West – Building a hydrogen future
HyNet North West will play a critical role in the world’s fight against climate change, accelerating the UK’s transition to ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Cadent is a lead partner in a collection of world-leading organisations coming together to develop a hydrogen network that will produce, store and distribute hydrogen to decarbonise the North West of England and North Wales.
Together with carbon capture and storage (CCS), these technologies have the potential to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 10 million tonnes every year by 2030 – the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road.
The project is a game-changer. It will realise the potential of the hydrogen economy through the creation of state-of-the-art infrastructure. It will offer a viable alternative to the use of natural gas, providing a safe transition to a decarbonised world.
HyNet North West:
- is the only cluster that can be up and running by 2025 and offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to effect real change in energy production and consumption, creating the building blocks for a safer and cleaner world for generations to come.
- will provide a lasting legacy for generations to come in North West England and North Wales. It will establish the region as a world leader in clean energy innovation, building on its rich industrial heritage with new solutions to combat climate change, and promoting the area as an attractive place for businesses to operate and invest.
- is a regional project with national and global benefits. According to a 2020 report from the UK Hydrogen Taskforce, scaling up hydrogen solutions in the UK could support 75,000 jobs by 2035. This would offer opportunities for people in North West England and North Wales, and further afield, to develop new skillsets and train to work in exciting new sectors.
HyNet North West – the start of the hydrogen revolution
HyNet North West is a project which could revolutionise not just the North West region, but the UK, acting as a template for how a hydrogen project could work.
If the UK Government is serious about its ‘levelling up agenda’ then providing the support for this project would be a signal about its intent.