On Friday the UK Government is expected to announce £22bn funding for two hydrogen production and carbon capture clusters, one of which is close to the River Mersey. Tony McDonough reports

Stanlow oil refinery will be home to the HyNet hydrogen hub. Picture by Tony McDonough

A hydrogen production and carbon capture and storage project close to the River Mersey is set to receive multi-million pound backing from the UK Government.

HyNet, a consortium set up to produce ‘low carbon’ hydrogen and supply it to factories across the North West, will share £22bn of funding with a similar project in the North East of England. This investment will be spread over 25 years.

Several years in the planning, HyNet has been awaiting an investment decision from the UK Government and now, according to the FT on Thursday, that wait is set to be over with ministers backing the project which is due to come online in 2027.

This multi-billion pound hydrogen production hub will be built at the Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port, close to the River Mersey. EET Fuels, owner of the refinery, is building its own parallel hydrogen facility that will help decarbonise the site’s operations.

Hydrogen produced by HyNet will be so-called ‘blue hydrogen’ that will be piped to factories across the North West. HyNet says on its website: “We have over 40 organisations signed up to decarbonise through HyNet.

“Industry which can switch from the fossil fuels they currently use to a low carbon alternative – hydrogen which has been produced in the North West by EET Hydrogen and distributed by Cadent’s pipeline network.

“We have already run successful demonstrations at Pilkington Glass and Unilever to show how the switch over from natural gas to hydrogen could work.”

Blue hydrogen is produced by burning natural gas which emits CO2, a major contributor to climate change.

However, instead of the CO2 being released into the atmosphere it will be captured by a facility at Stanlow. Italian oil producer Eni will build a pipeline to carry the captured CO2 to be stored in porous rock in depleted gas fields under Liverpool Bay.

However, there remains significant scepticism about the viability of carbon capture and storage. There are some who believe it simply won’t work and that it is simply a ruse to prolong the use of fossil fuels.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. Its potential as a clean source of fuel is immense. The snag is it has to be separated from other elements and that is an energy-intensive process, however you do it.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram fires up the hydrogen trial at Pilkington

Some experts question whether projects such as HyNet can achieve the 95% capture rate required to meet stringent Government rules. Hydrogen is set to make a significant contribution to the UK’s net zero target – so the stakes are high.

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HyNet is also conducting small pilot schemes to produce ‘green hydrogen’. This uses electricity produced from a renewable source, such as wind or solar, which is then fed through a machine called an electrolyzer. This separates the hydrogen atoms out in water.

From a climate change point of view this is the optimal method for producing hydrogen. However, while its development is progressing, it is a long way from being available or affordable at scale. HyNet’s argument is that ‘blue’ is scaleable now.