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INDUSTRIAL AFFILIATES NATIONAL GRID SAY THE PROJECT WILL TRANSFORM
THE WAY HOMES AND INDUSTRY ARE POWERED

NATIONAL GRID EXPLORES PLANS

FOR UK HYDROGEN ‘BACKBONE’ ANNE-MARIE TREVELYAN

UK and Europe, we’re confident we can
NATIONAL GRID IS exploring the will include identifying pipeline routes, collectively find the right solutions with
development of a UK hydrogen assessing the readiness of existing gas hydrogen playing its role in accelerating
‘backbone’, which aims to join together assets and determining a transition net zero goals.”
industrial clusters around the country, plan for assets in a way that supports Energy Minister Anne-Marie
potentially creating a 2000km hydrogen the government’s net zero ambition. Trevelyan said: “There is huge
network for the UK by around 2030. The research will explore how to potential for hydrogen to help the UK
Repurposing around 25 per cent convert pipelines by the end of the transition towards a green economy,
of the current gas transmission decade in a phased approach, aligning and we are committed to investing in
pipelines, Project Union will build with government ambitions of producing its development as part of our plans to
on the government’s 10-point plan 5GW of low carbon hydrogen by 2030. build back greener.
to invest more than £1 billion to unlock Antony Green, Hydrogen Project “National Grid’s project will
the potential of hydrogen and support Director at National Grid, said: transform the way homes and industry
the establishment of carbon capture, “Hydrogen has a critical role to play are powered, providing clean energy
utilisation and storage (CCUS) in four as we transition to a cleaner energy to deliver on the aims in the Prime
industrial clusters. future. The potential is exciting and Minister’s ambitious 10-point plan of
National Grid anticipates the backbone a hydrogen backbone to support the generating 5GW of low carbon hydrogen
could carry at least a quarter of the current industrial clusters could accelerate the production capacity by 2030.”
gas demand in Great Britain today, and roll-out. But there is a lot of work to find Project Union will also look at how
provide vital resilience and storage. the most economic way to repurpose to connect the backbone to the existing
The project is exploring a hydrogen our assets and how we might develop interconnectors coming into Bacton,
backbone connecting the Grangemouth, a phased conversion to develop a allowing the UK to link with the EU
Teesside and Humberside clusters, as hydrogen network for the UK. hydrogen backbone that is also being
well as linking up with Southampton, the “The UK has shown clear ambition in developed – this could open up future
North West and South Wales clusters. the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan with import and export of hydrogen with
As the clusters develop, National Grid two carbon capture and storage clusters European neighbours. The link down to
stands ready to join them up. planned for 2025 and a further two Project Cavendish at the Isle of Grain,
National Grid will use net zero clusters by 2030. This backbone could where National Grid and a consortium
development funding to finance a bring resilience and security to support of energy companies are currently
portfolio of projects, one of which is the this strategy. By working closely with looking to develop hydrogen production
feasibility phase of Project Union. This government and stakeholders in the capacity, will also be key.

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