HyNet North West (Hydrogen and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage)
North West England and North Wales · 2021–Present (Projected to be operational by mid-2020s) [1] [2] · £0.9 billion (estimated infrastructure investment for the full project) [3]; £2.5 billion (securing for CCS) [4]
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchHyNet North West is a leading industrial decarbonisation cluster in the UK, aiming to unlock a low-carbon economy for the region. It will significantly reduce industrial carbon emissions, create and protect jobs, and provide a reliable supply of low-carbon hydrogen. [1]
Key engineering challenges
Developing and integrating a large-scale hydrogen production and distribution network. [1] - Designing and constructing CO2 capture facilities for multiple industrial sites. [1] - Transporting and permanently storing captured CO2 in depleted offshore gas fields. [1] - Repurposing existing infrastructure and building new pipelines for hydrogen and CO2. [5]
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Progressive Energy (lead developer), Cadent, Eni, Essar, Hanson, INOVYN, Keppel, and others. [1]
- Lead contractor
- —
- Lead designers
- Progressive Energy, WSP (for hydrogen pipeline network design) [5]
- Project type
- new build
- Scale
- Aims to capture up to 10 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030; produce 80% of the UK’s clean hydrogen target by 2025. [1]
- Disciplines
- chemical; mechanical; civil; environmental; process engineering; pipeline engineering; project management
- Standards & frameworks
- UK environmental regulations, hydrogen safety standards, CCS guidelines.
Sources: HyNet North West: HyNet North West (https://hynet.co.uk/) [1] - OGCI CCUS Hubs: HyNet North West (https://ccushub.ogci.com/focus_hubs/hynet-north-west/) [2] - UKCCSRC: HyNet North West (https://ukccsrc.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/David-Walker-HyNet-and-Peak-clusters.pdf) [3] - World Economic Forum: HyNet North West: securing £2.5 billion for CCS (https://initiatives.weforum.org/transitioning-industrial-clusters/case-studies/hynet-north-west-securing-%C2%A32.5-billion-for-ccs/aJYTG0000001Gh34AE) [4] - WSP: HyNet North West hydrogen and CO2 pipelines (https://www.wsp.com/en-us/projects/hynet-north-west-cluster-hydrogen-pipeline) [5]