The Humber has always been at the forefront of Britain’s energy and industrial economy.

From landing the first North Sea gas to blazing the trail on offshore wind development, Yorkshire and North and North East Lincolnshire have played a pioneering role in powering Britain.

As one of the country’s largest industrial clusters, it contributes £18 billion to the UK’s economy, supporting thousands of skilled jobs.  

However, times are changing and we need to ensure this industrial heartland retains its leading role in Britain’s energy and economic security during the energy transition.  

Gas powered the Humber’s industrial heritage and hydrogen will propel it into the future.

Hydrogen is evolving our energy supply chain, as opposed to revolutionising it overnight. The home-grown fuel can be used much like natural gas.

Hydrogen offers a win-win solution for British industry - bolstering our energy security, supporting decarbonisation and securing our critical industries’ future. It’s a vital source of fuel to industries that cannot be electrified, such as glass, cement, steel, chemicals, refining and power generation.  

We’re fast approaching a crossroad in the future of hydrogen and the industrial success of the Humber and Britain’s energy transition. In the next few months, the UK Government is set to make a crucial decision about the location of the nation’s first hydrogen network.  

The Humber Energy Board alongside many other local partners, has long championed the region’s unique offer. Now is the time to unlock its full potential and ensure the UK Government backs the Humber to be Britain’s first hydrogen hub.  

Choosing the Humber would attract billions of private investment, protect thousands of skilled jobs and create many more. It would cut industrial emissions and support established industries such as ammonia and fertiliser production, while enabling new sectors like Sustainable Aviation Fuel to grow in the region.

We believe the Humber is the obvious choice to be the home of Britain’s first hydrogen cluster. This is why National Gas is joining Centrica, Equinor and SSE Thermal to back this once-in-a-generation opportunity.  

No other region matches what the Humber offers - a mix of industrial demand, infrastructure, supply chains, skills, and geological storage opportunities in such close proximity. As the biggest cluster for industrial and power carbon emissions in the UK, there is an urgent need to find low carbon solutions for the region.  

Jobs and the future of the UK’s energy and industrial sectors are at the forefront of everyone's mind. There are 360,000 people employed in manufacturing, fuel production and power generation in the Humber - industries set to benefit from the introduction of hydrogen.

We want to bring our expertise in gas pipelines to transport hydrogen between producers, storage facilities and the factories and power stations whose future depends on hydrogen.  

The Government has a choice: secure the future of Britain’s industrial heartland, or risk losing it. Backing the Humber as the home of British hydrogen is the clearest signal that Britain intends to lead, not follow, in the industries of tomorrow. 

To find out more, visit https://humberhydrogen.co.uk