Hydrogen in the North East

It is widely acknowledged that a shift to a hydrogen-based economy is the likely goal over the next 50 to 100 years. This is due to its versatility, range of potential applications, and almost zero emissions when used. The North East leads for the UK on hydrogen development. Teesside, with its long history of petrochemical innovation, is pioneering development of the necessary technology and infrastructure to produce larger-scale hydrogen fuel cells to speed the creation of a hydrogen economy.

Renew Tees Valley supports and promotes the Tees Valley as a UK centre for renewable energy and waste management technologies, leading to new economic activity and is supporting development of its hydrogen expertise.

It has set up the Tees Valley Hydrogen Project to link hydrogen activity in the TEES Valley and to provide the final link in the chain needed to drive developments on to the marketplace. The Tees Valley, with its petrochemical and chemical industry history, has unique assets created over the years by some of the world’s leading chemical companies and the expertise and skills needed to ‘scale-up’ developing technologies into commercially viable operations. Its assets include a 30 km hydrogen distribution system incorporating an underground hydrogen storage facility of nearly 1000 Te, all located within an urban environment, and a strong technological base and unrivalled experience in hydrogen handling.

Dermot Roddy, CEO of Renew Tees Valley, informs NEREG of hydrogen developments and supports this technology in the wider renewables agenda.