Humber Freeport’s Chair said projects including Humber Hydrogen have the potential to deliver “growth in every postcode” as he spoke at the regional launch of the campaign.
Finbarr Dowling joined a panel of experts spanning industry and education to discuss the significant opportunity hydrogen energy presents in the Humber region’s economic future.
He spoke at the regional launch of Humber Hydrogen, a campaign driven by a mission to make the Humber home to the UK’s first hydrogen network.
Delivered by industry partners National Gas, Centrica, Equinor and SSE Thermal, Humber Hydrogen is calling on the UK Government to award £500m of funding through the Hydrogen Transport and Storage Business Model to the Humber.
Figures have shown that establishing a hydrogen storage, transportation and usage network in the Humber could unlock £15bn of investment and growth across key industrial clusters.
Humber Freeport’s Chair, Finbarr Dowling, being interviewed at the regional launch of the Humber Hydrogen campaign.
Mr Dowling said: “The numbers involved in Humber Hydrogen are staggering. Once you let the cork out of the bottle, it will be incredible. If you want growth in every postcode, there is a tonne of opportunity in this region.
“The need to reindustrialise and decarbonise is stronger than ever. We have opportunity, we have accessibility and we have the industries which can benefit from being decarbonised.
“The pipeline of skills and talented people we have in the Humber is stronger than ever. We have huge swathes of talent coming through – the onus is on us to create the opportunities for that talent.
“We can do it, we have done it before, and the companies involved in Humber Hydrogen are of the highest quality. We must seize the opportunity which is being presented to us.”
Independent analysis, commissioned by Humber Hydrogen, has shown up to 4,000 jobs would be safeguarded in critical industries such as steel and chemicals if Britain’s first hydrogen network was based in the region.
Finbarr Dowling speaking at the regional launch of the Humber Hydrogen campaign.
Establishing a hydrogen network in the Humber could support the creation of 700 apprenticeships over the lifetime of the project.
Humber Hydrogen would support more than 54,000 jobs during construction, and sustain 900 jobs during its operation.
In June, Humber Freeport’s Head of Investment Richard Beason visited Westminster for the national launch of Humber Hydrogen. Now, the campaign has officially launched in the region, with a special event held at The Deep in Hull.
The regional launch was opened by John Wilson, Head of Hydrogen Clusters for National Gas, before a keynote speech was delivered by Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness.
Mr Dowling then joined a panel alongside Debra Gray OBE, Principal of Hull College, Beckie Hart, Regional Director for Yorkshire and the Humber at CBI, and Gabrielle Gill, a Process Engineer at Centrica.
The regional launch of Humber Hydrogen was held at The Deep in Hull.
The event was concluded with a discussion between Cllr Anne Handley, Leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and Richard Gwilliam, the Chair of Humber Energy Board.
Speaking on behalf of Humber Hydrogen, Ian Radley, Chief Commercial Officer at National Gas, said: “We’re calling on the UK Government to back the Humber as the obvious choice for Britain’s first hydrogen cluster.
“Developing this vital infrastructure in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire will bring significant investment to the region and create new opportunities for the communities that have powered British industry for generations.
“The Humber’s skilled workforce has been instrumental to Britain’s industrial success for decades and stands ready to lead the next chapter, unlocking the UK’s potential as a global leader in hydrogen.”
- To read more about the Humber Hydrogen project, visit: nationalgas.com/media/news/back-humber-create-thousands-jobs-britains-first-hydrogen-heartland
