Zero Carbon Humber Partnership

The Zero Carbon Humber Partnership (ZCH) has brought together world-leading organisations with a goal to turn the Humber, the UK's most carbon-intensive region, into a net zero cluster by 2040\.

ZCH will deliver first-of-a-kind low-carbon infrastructure, comprising CO2 and hydrogen transmission pipelines linking the region's major emitters, providing a pathway to deliver at-scale decarbonisation. The infrastructure will be anchored by the H2H-Saltend project (reducing emissions by ~1Mtpa) and will unlock further private sector investment in mature deep decarbonisation projects, enabling the transition to net-zero before 2040\. This infrastructure enables Hydrogen production/CO2 capture at Uniper's site in Immingham (c.7Mtpa), clean steel production at British Steel (2-4Mtpa), SSE Keadby-3CCGT+CCS (c.2Mtpa) and Bioenergy-with-CCUS (BECCS) at Drax (16Mtpa). Collectively these projects will transform this industrial heartland, safeguarding and creating jobs as the 'Energy Estuary' transitions to net-zero.

The low-carbon infrastructure's parallel CO2 and H2 pipelines will enable CO2 emissions to be captured and transported and fuel-switching of end-users to hydrogen for a long-term sustainable transition to low-carbon energy. The onshore infrastructure will be linked to the 'Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP)' offshore project providing CO2 transport and geological storage for both Humber and Teesside clusters (together over 50% of UK Industrial Cluster emissions (15.5Mtpa)). This aligns with UK government's ambition and the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) recommendations, having at least two clusters storing 10Mtpa of CO2 by 2030 and Government's ambition to reach 20Mtpa by 2035 progressing towards the deployment levels required by 2050\.

Anchoring the infrastructure is the H2H-Saltend project which, in-line with Government's ambitions, will kick-start large-scale low-carbon hydrogen deployment. H2H-Saltend will develop a blue hydrogen production facility (600MW), providing hydrogen to fuel-switch Saltend Chemicals Park, reducing emissions by circa 1.0Mtpa. The fuel switch will include Triton's CHP station, decarbonising power and steam to the Chemicals Park, whilst fuel-switching another large user on the site. Additionally, H2H-Saltend will develop a low-carbon ammonia export product and partially decarbonise all other products produced on-site. This will position the UK at the forefront of the expanding international low-carbon products market.

The project will be led by Equinor, Europe's leading CCUS operator, and National Grid. These partners will be joined by Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, ABP, British Steel, Centrica Storage Limited, Drax Group, Mitsubishi Power, px limited, SSE Thermal, Saltend Cogeneration Company Limited and Uniper. ZCH aims to take a Final Investment Decision before March 2024, and be operational in 2026-27\.