The H2H decarbonisation project at Saltend has been given planning permission by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, strengthening its case in forthcoming Government competitions.
Equinor’s H2H Saltend is a 600-megawatt low carbon hydrogen production plant with carbon capture, one of the first of its kind and scale to be granted planning permission in the UK, helping to establish the Humber as an international hub for low carbon hydrogen whilst significantly reducing carbon emissions.
The decision comes as the project prepares for a potential application into the Government’s forthcoming ‘Cluster Sequencing Track-1 Expansion’ process, is expected to launch this year to select decarbonisation projects in both the Humber and Teesside that can connect to the East Coast Cluster’s carbon capture transport and storage infrastructure by around 2030.
Due to be operational around the end of the decade and sited at the energy intensive Saltend Chemicals Park, to the east of Hull, H2H Saltend will help to reduce the park’s emissions by up to a third. To achieve this, low carbon hydrogen will be used in chemical processes by both Saltend-based and other nearby companies, as well as directly replacing natural gas in several industrial facilities reducing the carbon intensity of their products.
The project also forms part of Equinor’s ‘Hydrogen to Humber’ ambition to deliver 1.8 gigawatts of low carbon hydrogen production within the region, nearly 20% of the UK’s national 2030 target. These proposals seek to develop a hydrogen transport and storage hub network linking key sites primarily on the north bank of the Humber including Saltend, Easington and the Aldbrough Storage facility, via dedicated hydrogen pipelines.
The H2H Saltend planning application was submitted to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council in July 2023. There have been three public consultation events in East Yorkshire and Hull since 2021 to present the project throughout the planning process, in addition to regular dialogues with local authority and parish councillors. No objections to the application were raised by any statutory body.
The UK Government is expected to launch the Track-1 Expansion competition from 2024. It is the next step of the Cluster Sequencing process, following selection of the East Coast Cluster as a Track-1 Cluster and subsequent selection of a first phase projects in March 2023, when Humber projects were unsuccessful.
Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Lord Callanan said: “CCUS clusters will be the starting point for a new industry in the UK, which is why we’ve committed up to £20 billion in early support and expect to bring forward 4GW of low carbon hydrogen production by 2030.”
Derek Ho, H2H Saltend Project Director, said: “Receiving planning permission for this key project could help to kick-start multiple decarbonisation initiatives in the Humber, a vital region with a long-standing history for Equinor. It is an important first step in creating a low carbon hydrogen economy and achieving net zero in the Humber, safeguarding local industries and creating greater opportunities including new jobs and skills, whilst helping the UK to tackle climate change.
“This decision comes at a very opportune moment, as we await the launch of the Government’s next phase of the Cluster Sequencing process for the Humber, and it puts H2H Saltend in a strong position, should we submit a bid.”
