Clean energy was the focus as more than 100 delegates gathered for a special summit.
The East Midlands Combined County Authority and gas distribution company Cadent brought together more than 100 of the region’s most ambitious organisations in industry, technology and local government at the East Midlands Hydrogen Summit in a bid to drive innovation and attract investment into clean energy.
The day, held at the HyMarnham Power hydrogen production site, on the former location of the coal-fired High Marnham Power Station, focused on how hydrogen is being deployed in the region, with exhibitors and speakers showcasing the East Midlands’ journey towards decarbonisation and a green economy.
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, who spoke at the summit, said: “At HyMarnham Power, the East Midlands is leading the UK in green hydrogen innovation.
“Once a coal-fired power station, this site now hosts the UK’s largest green hydrogen plant — powered entirely by renewable energy.
“HyMarnham Power is repurposing critical infrastructure into a clean energy hub producing green hydrogen.”
The summit also saw Cadent unveil the high-level route of the first phase of its East Coast Hydrogen Pipeline (ECHP), connecting hydrogen production in the Humber and North Nottinghamshire to key energy-intensive industrial companies.
The plans to connect the pipeline to the HyMarnham Power site will lay the foundations for a massive scale-up in capacity, allowing local manufacturing companies to fuel switch away from natural gas, helping decarbonise their operations. The pipeline will also connect to energy intensive industrial companies in the Humber.
Following approval by Ofgem, the project has recently been awarded more than £42 million to progress technical, planning and consenting work to bring the project to life.
Major employers that will connect to the pipeline include steel-making, lime and brick manufacturing, chemicals and food & drink. Many of these companies have told Cadent that hydrogen is their only viable route to decarbonise the energy intensive processes at their sites and a supply of low carbon hydrogen is key to their future plans and ability to decarbonise at scale.
The proposed 140km purpose-built hydrogen pipeline offers huge potential for significant growth in hydrogen production at HyMarnham Power – a joint venture between hydrogen pioneer GeoPura and sustainable waste processing leader JG Pears.
The site has the capability to grow at scale from a 15MW hydrogen production plant to more than 900MW production, subject to further investment. The transportation of hydrogen via the Cadent pipeline is a key route to distribute a resilient, low carbon hydrogen supply at significant scale to the hydrogen customers and enable industrial decarbonisation across the region.
Progress in low carbon hydrogen production in the East Midlands has already reached a major infrastructure milestone, with utility works complete and commissioning of a 15MW electrolyser under way at HyMarnham Power – one of the first projects from the first round of the UK Government Hydrogen Allocation to go live.
The annual summit and Cadent’s route announcement marks a key chapter in the UK’s journey towards net zero industrial emissions and clean energy security.
Mayor Claire said: “The East Coast Hydrogen Pipeline represents exactly the kind of ambitious investment that sits at the heart of our East Midlands Growth Plan which we launched earlier this week. 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.
“Connecting hydrogen production at HyMarnham Energy Park with major employers across our region helps businesses to decarbonise while also creating the foundations for sustainable economic growth and skilled jobs for generations to come.”
Adam Knight, ECHP Project Director at Cadent, said: “The movement of this project to the next engineering stage is vital to the UK’s overall decarbonisation efforts. It’s about unlocking a new low-carbon future for the East Midlands and the Humber, one that keeps industry thriving while cutting emissions.”
“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.”
Andrew Cunningham, Director at HyMarnham Power, said: “This announcement marks a pivotal moment for the East Midlands. Connecting HyMarnham Power to Cadent’s East Coast Hydrogen Pipeline opens up the opportunity to supply clean, low-carbon energy directly to the region’s most energy-intensive industries.
“The scale of the decarbonisation challenge across the East Midlands and Humber is immense, but through this collaboration we can make meaningful progress – cutting emissions, protecting jobs, and building new skills in a future-focused energy economy. HyMarnham Power is delighted to play a key role in this network, helping to secure a resilient hydrogen supply for the region’s transition to net zero.”
It is expected that once operational, the East Coast Hydrogen Pipeline could form part of a broader national hydrogen network, strengthening the region’s position at the forefront of the hydrogen economy and ensuring that local industry can continue to compete in a low-carbon world.