A new private-public sector partnership has been established to build Cumbria’s first low-carbon H₂ hub to provide local businesses with easy access to H₂ fuel. The proposed 35 MW commercial H₂ hub, located on industrial-zoned land in Barrow-in-Furness is being brought forward following the signature of a MoU between Carlton Power, the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, Barrow Borough Council, Cadent and Electricity Northwest.

The project, subject to planning and financing, will see sustainable H₂ fuel being produced at scale, creating opportunities for businesses in Cumbria to make net-zero plans with H₂ in mind. The H₂ hub facility will support the growth of renewable electricity generation by utilizing it to produce and store H₂ at times when renewable output is high, but demand is low.

The private/public sector collaboration is a response to the UK Government’s plans for a green revolution which includes H₂ and fuel cell technology as one of its key ambitions.

Carlton would like to see the Barrow Green H₂ hub in operation by 2025 and intends to seek financial support for the scheme from the UK Government’s H₂ Investment Package (HIP), a multi-million-pound program to encourage the growth of the H₂ economy in the UK. Securing financial support from the HIP will be necessary to build and operate the Barrow Green H₂ project.

Eric Adams, H₂ Projects Director at Carlton Power said, “We’re delighted to be working with key regional partners to bring forward this green H₂ facility, which will help Cumbria’s decarbonization efforts. It supports the Clean Energy Strategy for Cumbria. It is critical that projects such as this are brought forward to support investment by local companies in their infrastructure that will enable a reduction in the carbon emissions associated with their operations.”

The consortium has expertise in energy infrastructure development, industrial policy, skills and innovation to develop the low carbon H₂ production and storage facility. Initially, the green H₂ produced is expected to be used for industrial processes, with scope in the future for vehicle refueling and residential heating.

Barrow Borough Council and the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership will be working with Carlton Power to identify and maximize the economic and environmental benefits that the scheme can bring to Barrow and the region, whilst Electricity Northwest will provide valuable insight into the existing power networks in the area.

Cadent, the gas distribution company, brings expertise to the Carlton Power consortium as it is already advancing plans to stop carrying methane and switch to low-carbon H₂. Cadent, which manages thousands of miles of underground pipes in this part of Cumbria, expects Northwest England to be the first to do that at high volume, by the mid-2020s.