UK green hydrogen company Protium has announced it is to build a 40MW project in Teesside.
The company has secured a location on a site owned by Middlesbrough-based offshore engineering company Wilton Universal Group, where it will install an electrolyser and hydrogen storage facility in two phases.
Protium said that the site will be able generate renewable hydrogen for local manufacturers once built, enabling them to transition from natural gas and diesel.
Teesside has been chosen due to the government’s £3 million investment to develop Tees Valley, the UK’s first hydrogen transport hub. As part of the UK Spring Budget in March 2021, the government announced that Tees Valley is set to get Freeport status.
As such there is “immense value” in securing strategic land parcels in the area, said Protium. The secured site will sit adjacent to the River Tees, within the Tees Valley Freeport.
Chris Jackson, CEO of Protium, said the project would allow the company to work alongside local businesses to help decarbonise.
“The growing hydrogen hub offers a faster route to market for the deployment of this clean energy source, so we’re very excited to be part of the transition to a greener economy and future in the heart of Tees Valley,” he addeed.
Protium’s announcement follows a surge of activity in the UK’s green hydrogen sector, with Octopus Renewables announcing a £3 billion investment into green hydrogen through a new partnership with RES yesterday. Earlier this week, a consortium led by Macquarie GIG announced a plan to develop green hydrogen on Orkney that utilises offshore wind while last week, Octopus Hydrogen formed a strategic partnership with Innova Renewables and Novus to rollout green hydrogen production.
This spree of projects comes amidst an energy crisis in the UK and beyond, with many calling for a faster transition to renewables together with storage and hydrogen to mitigate against further price hikes driven by gas.
The Energy Networks Association released research that suggested excess wind and solar in the spring and summer could currently generate between 60-80GW of renewable hydrogen, providing the best route to circumvent future energy supply shortages.
Protium’s Tees Valley project is expected to be completed by 2026, subject to planning and engineering works.
