GENERATE PROSPECTUS - Flipbook - Page 24
Unlimited opportunities in the East of England
Unlimited opportunities in the East of England
HYDROGEN
HIGH HOPES
FOR HYDROGEN
WELLS
CROMER
BACTON
KINGS LYNN
GT YARMOUTH
NORWICH
LOWESTOFT
DISS
SIZEWELL
BURY ST EDMUNDS
CAMBRIDGE
IPSWICH
FELIXSTOWE &
HARWICH
FREEPORT EAST
24
BRADWELL
Hydrogen could be the clean fuel that radically
decarbonises the way we generate power for
our homes, industry and transport. Recognising
this, the UK Government, in its Ten Point Plan
for a Green Industrial Revolution, has set an
ambitious industry target of creating 5GW of
capacity for low carbon hydrogen production
by 2030. We believe the East of England is
an ideal location for building that capacity,
with the technical skills to bring hydrogen to
market safely using existing infrastructure and
innovative technologies.
Norfolk and Suffolk’s energy sector is already
one of the UK’s primary generators of renewable
electricity. Wind turbines in our coastal waters
produce around 44% of the UK’s total 10.4GW
of offshore wind energy, which is essential for
producing green hydrogen. At the same time,
Sizewell B currently produces enough nuclear
power for around 8% of UK homes, which could
be used off-peak to produce pink hydrogen.
The SNS is also the UK’s principal gas basin and
30% of our natural gas comes ashore at the
strategically important Bacton Gas Terminal
complex on the Norfolk coast. This offers the
potential for taking an integrated approach to
the production and storage of blue hydrogen.
As well as using offshore wind energy to reform
natural gas, the carbon could be captured and
stored in depleted gas fields using the existing
offshore pipeline infrastructure.
There are three principle ways of
producing clean hydrogen, called
Green, Blue and Pink.
G
reen is made from water, using
electrolysers powered by wind
energy
B
lue is made from natural gas, using
renewable energy to strip the carbon
from the methane (‘reforming’) and
then sequestering it using Carbon
Capture and Storage technologies
P
ink uses the same electrolysis
process as Green but is driven by
nuclear power.
At the same time, the hydrogen could be
blended at low-levels with natural gas entering
the national transmission network. This would
reduce CO2 emissions when the gas is burnt
but without the need to immediately retrofit
homes and industry to handle the hydrogen.
We believe such an integrated and innovative
approach would greatly accelerate the UK’s
energy transition to Net Zero by 2050.
TURNING IDEAS INTO REALITY
A recent OGA study has concluded that the
Bacton area has the potential to become
a significant hydrogen production site for
London and the South East. A consortium of
industry experts, called Hydrogen East, is now
looking to develop the Bacton Energy Hub
idea. As well as being a major clean energy
demonstration project, it could increase the
life of the SNS gas assets and maximise their
economic value beyond the current 40-50
years forecast.
Meanwhile, EDF Energy is looking at
developing a green hydrogen demonstrator
project at Sizewell B on the Suffolk coast.
It is also working with the Freeport East
consortium (centred on the ports of Felixstowe
and Harwich) on plans to produce 1GW of
hydrogen (20% of the UK’s 5GW target) to
help decarbonise the maritime and road
haulage sectors. Both these projects have the
potential to create high value jobs and drive
clean energy innovation.
In fact, we believe that the development of
large-scale hydrogen production, storage
and distribution presents significant business
opportunities for the energy supply chain
across our region. There is also considerable
potential for people with transferable skills
and expertise gained in the offshore wind and
gas sectors to benefit from the growth in the
hydrogen economy.
THE BACTON AREA
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
BECOME A SIGNIFICANT
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
SITE FOR LONDON AND
THE SOUTH EAST
OGA Bacton Energy Hub report
25
