Our CEO Simon Green has highlighted the Humber’s unique investment and decarbonisation proposition in a live interview on Sky News.
Interviewed by Sky News Business Presenter Ian King, Mr Green outlined the vital role of Humber Freeport plays in driving major inward investment into the region, with a clear focus on decarbonisation and clean growth.
He said £1bn of investment had been committed to Humber Freeport tax sites, which will create up to 700 skilled jobs and provide a major uplift to the wider supply chain.
Those investments include Finnish manufacturer Metsä Tissue’s sustainable tissue paper mill in Goole, and Meld Energy’s planned green hydrogen production facility at Saltend Chemicals Park, east of Hull.
The interview also covered topics ranging from the skills agenda to the Humber’s position as the pre-eminent energy cluster in North West Europe.
Simon Green, CEO at Humber Freeport
Mr Green said: “The skills base we have here in the Humber is very good for what we are positioning ourselves for, which is decarbonisation and clean energy.
“For the Freeport, it was a quick decision for us to align ourselves to the energy transition in the Humber. We are located in the heart of the pre-eminent energy cluster in North West Europe, and also global investment is going into decarbonisation and net zero.
“The billion pounds of investment which has been promised for the Humber will bring with it high-value jobs which require skills and training that can be delivered right here in the region. That in turn creates an uplift for the wider supply chain around it.”
Mr Green spoke about the Freeport’s role as a truly pan-Humber initiative, and said the interaction between the region’s ports and the energy sector had provided a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity.
Mr Green also discussed the importance of Stallingborough-based skills and training provider CATCH, which is aiming to increase its intake of apprentices from 100 to 1,000 over the next six years.
A significant portion of those apprentices will gain the skills and expertise needed to lead the Humber’s transition to net zero, working in industries ranging from offshore wind to the fast-emerging hydrogen sector.
Richard Gwilliam, UK BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) Programme Director at Drax.
Earlier on Sky News, Ian King spoke to Richard Gwilliam, UK BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) Programme Director at Drax and Chair of Humber Energy Board.
Mr Gwilliam outlined key initiatives, including the planned Viking carbon capture and storage project, which aims to capture and safely store 10 million tonnes of emissions per year by 2030, as demonstrating the region’s vital role in powering the UK and leading the way to a clean energy future.
“The Humber is to energy what the City of London is to finance,” he said.
Sky News broadcast live from Grimsby throughout the day as Ian King spoke to leading figures in the Humber’s energy transition.
