• H₂ pipeline in development is now set to connect major H₂ production in North Nottinghamshire as well as the Humber, providing low-carbon energy to key energy intensive industrial users in the East Midlands.
• Major opportunity is opening up for HyMarnham Power H₂ production project in Nottinghamshire to increase its production capacity to over 900 MW of production, a sixty times increase on the existing capacity.
• Announcement marks a major step towards decarbonizing the East Midlands and Humber industrial heartlands, ensuring the protection of jobs and creation of new skills opportunities.
• Pipeline could save up to 600,000 tpy of CO₂ emissions once operational.
• The growth of planned H₂ production in the region by 2050, has the potential to create 10,000 direct jobs, 7000 construction jobs, add £3.4 B in GVA to the regional economy and save over 9.6Mt of CO₂.

At the East Midlands H₂ Summit on Thursday 16 October 2025 – Cadent unveiled the high-level route of the first phase of its East Coast H₂ Pipeline (ECHP), connecting H₂ production in the Humber and North Nottinghamshire to key energy intensive industrial companies.

The plans to connect the pipeline to the HyMarnham Power H₂ production site (at High Marnham)  will lay the foundations for a massive scale up in capacity allowing local manufacturing companies to fuel switch away from natural gas, helping decarbonize 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 MM in order 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 H₂ is their only viable route to decarbonize the energy intensive processes at their sites and a supply of low carbon H₂ is key to their future plans and ability to decarbonize at scale. 

The proposed 140km purpose-built H₂ pipeline offers huge potential for significant growth in H₂ production at HyMarnham Power – a joint venture between JG Pears and GeoPura. The site has the capability to grow at scale from a 15-MW H₂ production plant to over 900MW production, subject to further investment. The transportation of H2 via the Cadent pipeline is a key route to distribute a resilient, low carbon H₂ supply at significant scale to the H₂ customers and enable industrial decarbonization across the region.

Progress in low-carbon H₂ production in the East Midlands has already reached a major infrastructure milestone, with utility works complete and commissioning of a 15-MW electrolyzer underway at the site at HyMarnham Power. Set to be fully operational in Autumn 2025, HyMarnham Power is poised to be one of the first projects from the UK Government H₂ Allocation Round 1 (HAR1) to go live, putting the East Midlands on the map for H₂ production. 

Cadent and the East Midlands Combined County Authority brought together over 100 of the region’s most ambitious organizations in industry, technology and local government at the East Midlands H₂ Summit on Thursday.

The day focused on how H₂ is being deployed in the region, with exhibitors and speakers showcasing the East Midlands’ journey from now and into the future as we drive decarbonization and build a green economy.

The third iteration of the annual summit and Cadent’s route announcement marks a key chapter in both the region’s and the UK’s journey towards net zero industrial emissions and clean energy security.  

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 decarbonization 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.”

“H₂ offers a viable route to decarbonize 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, H₂ 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 H₂ Pipeline opens up the opportunity to supply clean, low-carbon energy directly to the region’s most energy-intensive industries.

“The scale of the decarbonization 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 H₂ supply for the region’s transition to net zero.”

It is expected that once operational, the East Coast H₂ Pipeline could form part of a broader national H₂ network, strengthening the region’s position at the forefront of the H₂ economy and ensuring that local industry can continue to compete in a low-carbon world.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said, “The East Coast H₂ 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 H₂ production at HyMarnham Energy Park with major employers across our region helps businesses to decarbonize while also creating the foundations for sustainable economic growth and skilled jobs for generations to come.”