Cross-sector Humber organisations have collaborated to secure millions of pounds of Government funding to drive clean growth in the region.
Humber Freeport was part of a consortium of partners who came together to bid for funding through the Local Innovation Partnership Fund, led by Government body UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Partners involved in the successful bid include the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority, the University of Hull, the University of Lincoln, Humber Energy Board and industry training provider CATCH.
The funding, worth up to £30m, will help advance clean energy projects across both the Humber region and in Teesside. It reflects a shared ambition across the two regions for innovation-led growth in the energy sector.
Humber Freeport’s CEO, Simon Green, is Interim Chair of the Project Board which has secured the Government funding.
Mr Green said: “At the crux of this successful bid was a collaborative approach which spanned the public sector, academia and industry. That pan-Humber focus was critical to the bid, and highlighted the strength of our region’s proposition as a centre for clean growth and innovation.
Humber Freeport’s CEO Simon Green is Interim Chair of the Project Board which secured the funding.
“Our region has a rich and deep history of innovation, which has underpinned the growth and advancement of the Humber’s industrial cluster. This Government funding is about the continued evolution of that cluster, centred on clean energy and low carbon technology.
“The Humber region is critical to UK energy supply and security, and the types of projects this funding will support have the potential to unlock thousands of skilled jobs and create prosperity for our communities.”
The funding will support an energy production and industrial resilience programme which brings together the strengths and opportunities across both the Humber and Teesside.
It will advance innovations in clean energy projects including the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrogen, and developing battery storage and deployment.
Those innovations will in turn support large projects, new manufacturing, skills development and supply chain growth – helping to attract private investment and create high-quality jobs.
Up to £30m of funding will accelerate clean energy innovation across the Humber region and in Teesside.
It is envisaged the Government funding will be matched twice fold by industry partners across the Humber, which are aligned on the region’s status as an industrial powerhouse for energy production, storage and distribution.
UK Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “It is a tribute to the pioneering spirit in every corner of our country that we are backing nations and regions across the UK to advance innovation in everything from defence to AI and clean energy to space tech.
“Across East Yorkshire, Hull and Tees Valley, the funding will back clean energy innovation, building on these regions’ industrial strengths to support jobs and growth.
“By working with local leaders, researchers, and businesses, we can unleash transformational research and products that improve lives.”
The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund is operated by UKRI, and forms part of a broader £86bn Government research and development commitment until 2030, supporting high-growth sectors in every region.
With a third of the UK’s offshore wind capacity, world-class industrial assets, and a nationally significant project pipeline in hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel production, the Humber is ideally positioned to lead the UK’s clean energy future.
