Emma Hardy said the Humber region is ‘the best place’ for a huge Government investment
Emma Hardy, MP for Hull West and Haltemprice(Image: Donna Clifford/HullLive)
Industry leaders, politicians, and trade unions have met at a parliamentary roundtable to discuss how the Humber region can lead the UK’s clean industrial future. The meeting, sponsored by Emma Hardy, the MP for Hull West and Haltemprice, follows local industry urging the Government to ‘re-energise’ the Humber.
The Government is preparing to allocate around £500 million to develop the UK’s first hydrogen transport and storage network. Key figures in the Humber region are hoping to secure funding, which in turn would lead to high-quality jobs and strengthen local industry in Hull and East Yorkshire.
Industry partners, including National Gas, Centrica, Equinor and SSE Thermal, are working together to develop a coordinated hydrogen network linking key sites across the Humber. The project could deliver up to 3GW of hydrogen production, supporting industries such as chemicals, steel and cement, while unlocking new opportunities in areas like sustainable aviation fuel.
Emma Hardy attended the meeting and reiterated her support for the campaign and its potential to deliver investment and prosperity across the region. The Labour MP said: “The Humber is the best place for Britain’s first hydrogen network, which will bring jobs, investment and a huge potential for expansion. Humber Hydrogen is about protecting our region’s industrial future, driving clean growth and creating greater energy security for the nation.”
Head of Hydrogen Clusters John Wilson said, “We believe the Humber is the obvious choice to be the home of the UK’s first hydrogen network. Nowhere else can match what it offers as Britain’s future hydrogen heartland – industrial demand, infrastructure, supply chains, geological storage and the skilled people needed to unlock Britain’s clean energy ambitions.
“Hydrogen offers a win-win solution for British industry – bolstering our energy security, supporting decarbonisation and securing our critical industries’ future. Alongside this, it will ensure continued employment to the Humber’s skilled workforce and create more local jobs, including for apprentices and graduates. We’re backing the Humber, and we’re asking the UK Government to do the same.”
Discussing the funding last year, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “We are investing over half a billion pounds in our industrial heartlands to deliver jobs and energy security for Britain. By building hydrogen networks, we are securing homegrown energy that will power British industry for generations to come. This will bring in the investment needed across the country to deliver our Plan for Change by unlocking clean energy and growth in our local economies.”
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