The Government is being urged to create the UK’s first hydrogen infrastructure network around the Humber as well as helping the region push forward with carbon capture and storage delivery. The appeal was outlined in a letter sent last week from the Humber Energy Board to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband as part of a campaign which will run throughout the year.
The letter was co-signed by 30 businesses and organisations from across the region, including eleven major energy companies, all four local authorities, Hull and East Yorkshire Mayor Luke Campbell, and the Humber Freeport, as well as unions, colleges, universities and training providers.
The campaign focuses on different aspects of the Humber’s energy industry and its first task is to focus on establishing a hydrogen infrastructure.
A major infrastructure opportunity
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is due to launch a process in the first half of 2026 to select one industrial cluster in the UK to receive £500mn funding to support the creation of the first regional hydrogen transport and storage network, connecting hydrogen producers with vital end users, which include power stations and industry.
The Humber area is expected to be among the leading contenders to receive this financial backing, which could create thousands of skilled jobs and supply chain opportunities.
The letter outlines why the Humber would be the ideal location, given its geology, proposals for local green and blue hydrogen production facilities, prospective hydrogen customers and the need to reduce emissions through its displacement of natural gas.
It also highlights the risks of non-selection, including de-industrialisation and job losses.
2025 was a tough year for the region, which saw the closure of biofuels business Vivergo Fuels and the Lindsey Oil Refinery, as well as the cancellation by rare earths group Pensana of a projected £250mn refinery near Hull.
Hopes for the future
Hopes are now being pinned on the new hydrogen and carbon capture projects to reverse these losses by future-proofing existing industry, protecting jobs and creating new opportunities.
The Humber Hydrogen Pipeline (HHP) project envisages connecting hydrogen producers, users and storage at a number of key industrial sites, including the Saltend Chemicals Park near Hull, the Easington gas terminal on the Holderness coast and nearby Aldbrough, and Immingham on the south bank of the Humber.
At Aldbrough, nine underground salt caverns, currently used to store natural gas piped ashore at Easington, are being earmarked to safely store hydrogen. Each one is large enough to comfortably house St Paul’s Cathedral.
Richard Gwilliam, Chair of the Humber Energy Board, said: “2026 will be a vital year for the Humber, with several game-changing decisions from government around hydrogen and carbon capture and storage which could transform the region.
“Today the Humber is critical for UK energy security, and business and partners in the region want to go further.
“This incredibly strong proposal to deliver a low-carbon industrial cluster is backed by experienced energy and infrastructure companies that are prepared to invest billions to create the new opportunities that this region needs. Now is the time for the government to unlock this potential and re-energise the Humber.”
Local cross-party political support
Graham Stuart, Conservative MP for Beverley and Holderness, and former energy minister, said: “If the country is to take advantage of key technologies, reduce emissions, create jobs and cut bills, we need action. That’s why we need the government to support hydrogen and carbon capture in our area and bring investment back to the Humber.”
Melanie Onn, Labour MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, said: “The Humber is the ideal place to locate the UK’s first hydrogen network, given its geology, geography and the wide range of key industries on both banks of the Humber Estuary that can benefit from its use.
“Hydrogen will play a key role in the energy transition, helping major employers in this region to reduce emissions whilst retaining jobs and stimulating economic growth. We want to see the hydrogen economy kick-started here in the Humber.”
Friends of Bylines Network
There has never been a greater need for grassroots journalism that investigates the stories that really matter, holds power to account and champions the voices of everyday citizens. We are proudly powered by volunteers but what we do isn’t free.
STAND WITH US for independent, citizen-led journalism that makes democracy stronger, and you will even get some exclusive benefits.
