Plans for UK’s largest green hydrogen hub approved

Plans for a £300 million hydrogen fuel hub in Greater Manchester have been approved by the local authority.

The granting of planning permission means the 200MW Trafford Green Hydrogen scheme is now the UK’s largest consented project for producing hydrogen through electrolysis.

Carlton Power, which plans to develop the project within its Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, said the first phase would provide capacity of up to 20MW. It said this phase was likely to create around 200 construction jobs over a two-year period.

However, the scheme’s construction and operation is still contingent on receiving financial support from the government’s Hydrogen Investment Package, which pledged £240 million towards low-carbon hydrogen production projects.

Manchester Metropolitan University, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Trafford Council, Cadent Gas and Electricity North West are all supporting the project.

Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester said: “The development of the Trafford Green Hydrogen project, as a part of the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, will be a spur for industry and transport operators in the Greater Manchester region to accelerate their plans to use green hydrogen and achieve their net zero carbon targets.  It also provides an important stimulus to job creation in Greater Manchester and further investment in renewable energy generation which will, in time, provide greater energy security.  I’m delighted that Greater Manchester is in the vanguard of creating a vibrant hydrogen economy in this country, and I urge the UK government to support this pioneering scheme.”

Eric Adams, hydrogen projects director at Carlton Power, said: “Trafford Green Hydrogen is ideally situated to provide local industry and transport operators with low-carbon hydrogen fuel.  It will also stimulate investment in the region’s energy infrastructure and accelerate the region’s energy transition. The economic and environmental benefits are clear. Working with our local partners, our focus now turns towards securing the UK government’s support to this project and our proposed green hydrogen schemes at Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria and Langage in the South West of England.”