Wales & West Utilities has announced plans for a dedicated H₂ pipeline in North Wales to support cleaner energy ambitions for business and industry across the region.

The proposed pipeline, HyLine Gogledd, would help bring H₂ to the energy-intensive industries that account for 55% of energy demand in the region from Deeside to Wrexham.

The pipeline will help transform the industrial landscape in the area, offering an alternative low-carbon choice for powering business and industry, whilst supporting long-term economic growth and jobs for the future.

H₂ is considered a greener alternative to natural gas as it provides energy in the same way but does not produce carbon emissions at the point of use.

Phase one of HyLine Gogledd demonstrates the viability of the pipeline network within the Northeast Wales Industrial Decarbonization (NEWID) Cluster, building on the foundations laid by the DESNZ-funded NEWID Cluster Plan launched earlier this year.

The pipeline and Cluster Plan together assess how H₂ can be used across Northeast Wales to replace natural gas in industrial processes, based on hubs at Deeside and Wrexham. It also outlines the private and public funding required and the commitment and actions needed to achieve net zero industrial emissions in Northeast Wales by 2050. Hyline Gogledd is set to be a cornerstone in delivering on these ambitions.

The NEWID Cluster is led by Net Zero Industry Wales, in collaboration with a host of partners, including Wales & West Utilities. It aims to address the unique challenges of dispersed industrial sites and to transform emissions-intensive industries into a clean energy hub, spearheading the UK’s industrial decarbonization efforts.

HyLine Gogledd will also support developments in the HyNet cluster. HyNet, which is a track one industrial cluster in the Northwest of England, aims to save more than one million tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year, equivalent to taking more than 600,000 cars off the road. The project estimates it can create 6,000 local jobs and generate £17 B in value for the local economy.