Bacton and the surrounding region offer significant opportunity for hydrogen development, including scope for a cross-cutting energy hub that can play a major role in supporting both the region’s aspiration to become the UK’s Clean Growth Region and the energy transition needed to deliver the 2050 Net Zero target.
There is a significant market opportunity given the access to a range of low-carbon energy technologies and assets, the need to decarbonise gas supply and the requirement to ensure optimisation of renewables and nuclear production (including heat).
The core components of development of a Bacton Energy Hub include the re-use of North Sea assets for carbon storage, blue and green hydrogen production and strong collaboration with offshore wind and potentially nuclear sectors. This could be supplemented by other asset types, including battery storage, solar, wave or tidal generation, and could see innovative offshore hybrid solutions as well as land-based developments.
Hydrogen East was formed in July 2020 to carry out research into the new hydrogen markets and build awareness of new opportunities within the East of England. With the adoption of the 2050 Net Zero target in June 2019, our mission is predicated on the belief that reaching the target in a timely manner is only possible if hydrogen can play a supporting role to rapid electrification of the energy system and can share the heavy lifting in supporting decarbonisation of the heating and transport sectors.
This Bacton Energy Hub scoping report is our first piece of third-party funded research. We have received support from OGTC, the New Anglia LEP, North Norfolk District Council and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. We have been supported by Xodus Group in the assessment of options for repurposing Southern North Sea (SNS) gas assets that flow into Bacton.
At this stage we have focussed on the New Anglia region, that is Norfolk and Suffolk. To establish firm foundations for this work we have carried out extensive geospatial mapping of the local energy sector and the wider regional economy.
Hydrogen East launched the Bacton Energy Hub: Stage One report via an online event on 20 May 2021.
The Summary Report can be accessed here.
The event recording and slides can be found here.
The report launch press release can be viewed here.
To request a copy of the Full Report, which will be made available in early June 2021, please email michael.brown@hydrogeneast.uk.