Equinor Receives Planning Permission for H2H Saltend Hydrogen Plant

Equinor has been granted planning permission by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council for its 600 MW low-carbon hydrogen production plant equipped with carbon capture, which will help to establish the Humber estuary as an international hub for low-carbon hydrogen and reduce carbon emissions. The permission was granted as the project prepares for a potential application into the U.K.’s Cluster Sequencing Track-1 Expansion process.

“I am pleased that H2H Saltend has been granted planning permission, a vital step forward in decarbonizing the Humber while delivering jobs and growth to the region,” said Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance. “CCUS clusters will be the starting point for a new industry in the UK, which is why we’ve committed up to £20 billion in early support and expect to bring forward 4GW of low carbon hydrogen production by 2030.”

This government program is expected to launch this year and will select decarbonization projects in both the Humber and Teesside regions that can connect to the East Coast Cluster’s carbon-capture transport and storage infrastructure by around 2030. H2H Saltend will be located at the Saltend Chemicals Park and will help to reduce the park’s emissions by up to 33%. To achieve lower emissions, low-carbon hydrogen will be deployed in chemical processes by local companies, as well as replacing natural gas to reduce the carbon intensity of industrial products.

Saltend Chemicals Park; Image Credits: The Film Agency

Hydrogen from H2H Saltend will also be blended with natural gas at Equinor and SSE Thermal’s on-site Triton power station. CO₂ will be captured and stored in sub-sea aquifers at a rate of approximately 900,000 tons per year. H2H Saltend is a catalyst for the wider decarbonization of Humber, linking regional CO₂ pipelines from Easington across northern Lincolnshire and to Drax in North Yorkshire. The NEP-owned infrastructure will capture and transport CO₂ for safe sub-sea storage as part of the East Coast Cluster development.

The hydrogen production plant will build a foundation for the energy transition in the Humber region, leading to more job opportunities for locals and supply chain contracts. It will also help to establish East Yorkshire as a primary market in the transition to a net-zero economy. The H2H Saltend planning application was submitted to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council in July 2023. Following three public consultation events since 2021, no objections to the application were raised by any statutory body.

“We are delighted to receive planning permission for this key project which could help to kick-start multiple decarbonization initiatives in the Humber, a vital region with a long-standing history for Equinor,” said Derek Ho, H2H Saltend Project Director. “It is an important first step in creating a low carbon hydrogen economy and achieving net zero in the Humber, safeguarding local industries and creating greater opportunities including new jobs and skills, whilst helping the UK to tackle climate change.”