It was once the cradle of the Industrial Revolution. Now – 260 years on – those towns and cities, which were once powered by coal, could be on the brink of changing the face of how the world works once again. HyNet North West in the UK will play a leading role in the world’s fight against climate change. And INEOS-owned INOVYN has an important part to play in this industry-led and inspired project.

It is one of a consortium of world-leading organisations committed to tackling the climate crisis.

Together they want to create a network so that hydrogen can be produced, safely stored and distributed to decarbonise the North West of England and North Wales.

“Our job will be to provide a place to store the hydrogen in vast quantities,” said Richard Stevenson, INOVYN’s Storage Projects Manager. “Only then can the network cope with changes in supply and demand. By providing large-scale storage, we will greatly enhance the system’s resilience.”

It’s an ambitious, but deliverable, project that is viewed by those involved as an opportunity not to be missed.

For these low carbon hydrogen technologies – combined with carbon capture and storage – could help to reduce CO₂ emissions by 10 million tonnes every year by 2030.

That’s the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road or heating more than five million homes.

“The project is a game-changer and will provide a lasting legacy for generations to come in the North West and North Wales,” said Richard.

It is hoped that by as early as 2025: 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ will be captured from industry.

A low carbon hydrogen plant will be in operation at Stanlow Refinery to produce 350MW – enough energy to heat about a third of a million homes with natural gas boilers.

Offshore and onshore gas extraction assets will be repurposed so that one million tonnes of CO₂ can be transported and stored in three depleted gas reservoirs under the seabed in Liverpool Bay, and construction of the UK’s first hydrogen pipeline network will be underway to supply local industry and to blend up to 20% hydrogen with natural gas into the local networks.

“This level of blending can be used with existing gas boilers and cookers, and is seen as an important step towards decarbonising homes,” said Richard.

By 2030, HyNet plans to be delivering 30TWh/y of low carbon hydrogen across the North West to industry, flexible power generation, transport and heating.

“That’s about 45% of the amount of energy currently delivered in the gas network in the region,” said Richard.

INOVYN will develop the first, large-scale underground facility in the Cheshire salt basin to store vast quantities of hydrogen and connect to the UK’s first hydrogen network of 350km of new pipes.

Networked hydrogen will accelerate the decarbonisation of heavy transport including trains, HGVs, buses and ships.

By 2030, HyNet also plans to capture a further one million tonnes of CO₂ from industry every year.

If successful, the project will establish the UK as a world leader in clean energy innovation and show what can be achieved through collaboration.

This year the UK government, which recently set a legally-binding target of net zero emissions by 2050, will publish its much-anticipated, national hydrogen strategy.

“Both government and industry see hydrogen as having a clear role, alongside electrification, in creating a greener and cleaner future,” said David Parkin, of Progressive Energy, HyNet’s Project Director.

www.hynet.co.uk

INOVYN
INOVYN will develop the first, large-scale underground facility in the Cheshire salt basin to store vast quantities of hydrogen and connect to the UK’s first hydrogen network of 350km of new pipes.

10M Tonnes
Reduce CO₂ emissions by 10 million tonnes every year by 2030. That’s the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road or heating more than five million homes. 

30TWh/y
By 2030, HyNet plans to be delivering 30TWh/y of low carbon hydrogen across the North West to industry, flexible power generation, transport and heating.

2050
This year the UK government, which recently set a legally-binding target of net zero emissions by 2050, will publish its much-anticipated, national hydrogen strategy.