Powering industry
Humber to Nottinghamshire
The H2East Pipeline: Humber to Nottinghamshire is a proposal for a new underground hydrogen pipeline in the east of England.
Introducing H2East Pipeline:
Humber to Nottinghamshire
The H2East Pipeline: Humber to Nottinghamshire is a proposal by Cadent to construct, operate and maintain an underground hydrogen pipeline.
The H2East Pipeline: Humber to Nottinghamshire will transport hydrogen to industries across the region. It is expected to be approximately 150km or 93 miles in length. It would include Hydrogen Above Ground Installations (HAGIs) at certain points along the route to help control and operate the pipeline.
The Project will play a vital role in protecting and boosting local jobs, encouraging inward investment, enabling a route to market for hydrogen producers and decarbonising industry. The pipeline will power industry, supporting manufacturers of steel, chemicals, bricks, food and more to switch from natural gas to low-carbon hydrogen.
Cadent is the UK’s largest gas distribution network and brings gas to 11 million homes and businesses throughout the North West, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South Yorkshire and North London.
Where will the underground pipeline be located?
The underground pipeline would travel from the Humber, through Lincolnshire into Nottinghamshire, supplying hydrogen to various industrial users* along the route.
Hydrogen is transported by pipelines underground, so once constructed you can't see most of the infrastructure.
To explore the proposed route corridor as presented at our first stage of consultation in more detail, visit our Interactive Map where you’ll find a postcode searchable map that allows you to zoom in on specific areas.
Please use the Map settings feature on the right-hand side to turn on different layers and switch between Satellite and Street view. The Key, also available on the right-hand side of the interactive map, explains the markings and colours on the map to show what they represent.
Opportunities for the region
The region has a long history of generating energy from its coal and gas fired power stations, and is known locally as ‘Megawatt Valley’. With the coal fired power stations closed low carbon hydrogen can have a future central role in the UK’s energy mix – fuelling industries across the region.
The Project will lay the foundation for hydrogen use across the region, connecting major energy-intensive industries from the Humber to Nottinghamshire. It will create a catalyst for the UK’s future hydrogen economy, supporting a cleaner and more prosperous future for generations to come.
The Project will enable manufacturers of steel, chemicals, bricks, food and more to switch from natural gas, which mainly comprises of methane, to low-carbon hydrogen, keeping British industry alive and supporting industrial decarbonisation.
The Project will play a vital role in:
- Safeguarding British manufacturing
- Encouraging inward investment
- Decarbonising energy-intensive industries
- Job retention across the Humber, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire
- Supporting the development of new skills in the hydrogen sector
- Enabling future expansion of hydrogen network to reach more industrial sites
Insights on the project
"Hydrogen offers a viable route to decarbonise sectors that can't easily electrify, and this pipeline will be a vital piece of national infrastructure to make that possible. We're continuing to work closely with industrial users, hydrogen producers and local stakeholders to ensure this Project supports both economic growth and the UK's net zero ambitions."
Adam Knight, H2East Pipeline: Humber to Nottinghamshire Project Director at Cadent.
"The H2East: Humber to Nottinghamshire pipeline represents exactly the kind of ambitious investment that sits at the heart of our East Midlands Growth Plan. Green growth is one of our key priorities - driving innovation, attracting new investment, and supporting our industries and communities to thrive in a low-carbon future."
Claire Ward, Mayor of East Midlands.
Please watch our project launch webinar to find out more and hear from speakers including British Sugar, Forterra, Tronox, HyMarnham Power and Uniper. Please note this webinar has been partially edited.
What is hydrogen?
Hydrogen is a gas which can be used for heat, power and even fuel for large vehicles like HGVs. When it’s burned, no carbon emissions are released. Hydrogen holds a lot of energy so it’s great for transporting large amounts of energy to where it’s needed.
Hydrogen at the scale required has to be made either through electrolysis or through the reformation of methane. Both methods can be used in a way that keeps carbon emissions to a minimum.
Hydrogen is a great fuel for industry as it can deliver high heat to meet industrial energy demands. Electricity cannot easily do this in all applications, without a significant increase in infrastructure, meaning hydrogen is needed in our energy mix to keep gas reliant businesses operating in the UK for years to come.
Find out more about hydrogen in our guide to hydrogen energy.
Keep in touch
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If you want to know more about H2East Pipeline: Humber to Nottinghamshire then please contact us.
You can also register your contact details with us if you would like to be kept informed about our project.