H2H Saltend

The first step to decarbonising the UK’s most carbon intensive region

This project represents a bold but practical first step towards reducing emissions in the UK’s highest emitting industrial region. H2H Saltend can play a leading role in the UK’s journey to net zero by 2050, support key industries in the UK’s largest industrial cluster, create new jobs and opportunities, and put the UK at the forefront of a global hydrogen economy.

Due to be operational by the early 2030s 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 one 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.

Hydrogen from H2H Saltend will also be blended with natural gas at Equinor and SSE Thermal’s on-site Triton power station. The amount of CO2 captured and safely stored in sub-sea aquifers as a result will be around nearly 900,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to taking about 500,000 cars off the road annually.

H2H Saltend has been granted planning permission

H2H Saltend, has been granted planning permission by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, strengthening its case in forthcoming Government competitions. There have been three public consultation events in East Yorkshire and Hull since 2021, presenting the project throughout the planning process, in addition to regular dialogues with local authority and elected representatives. No objections to the application were raised by any statutory body.

Why hydrogen in the UK?

Switching from fossil fuels to technologies such as low carbon hydrogen is pivotal in launching the UK on its way to net zero by 2050. Hydrogen provides a practical, scalable solution to decarbonise existing industries that currently depend on fossil fuels. The Humber is well-positioned to kick-start a a hydrogen economy due to its natural geology, energy imports and concentration of carbon intensive industries.

Why the Humber?

The Humber region is rich in industrial expertise and diversity at a scale that is unrivalled anywhere else in the UK. H2H Saltend will build upon the Humber’s unique qualities and its geography to deploy and grow the UK’s first low carbon hydrogen infrastructure for hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. H2H Saltend will be the project to kickstart the UK’s hydrogen future.

H2H Saltend can link to hydrogen storage at Aldbrough and other hydrogen customers in the region via the proposed Humber Hydrogen Pipeline. Read more about these projects here.

Why Equinor?

Experience matters. Equinor has over 20 years’ experience in safely storing carbon emissions and producing hydrogen from natural gas. Equinor has supplied energy to the UK for over 35 years, much of it imported via the Easington Terminal on the East Yorkshire coast. Equinor is a shareholder in the Northern Endurance Partnership, the carbon capture infrastructure which enables a decarbonised East Coast Cluster.

H2H Saltend’s future: 200,000 jobs

The hydrogen produced at Saltend Chemicals Park can be utilised for cross-sector decarbonisation of industry, power, transport and heat.

Future expansion of the project could see it produce enough blue hydrogen to start the decarbonisation of domestic heating in the north of England.

If the UK develops a world-leading hydrogen economy, the expansion of low carbon infrastructure could generate over 200,000 jobs¹⁾, significantly boosting the economy. This exciting potential is laid out in the H21 North of England report.

1) Hy-Impact Series: A summary of four studies assessing the role of hydrogen in the UK net-zero transition, p.5