SSE Thermal and Equinor have joined forces to develop two first-of-their kind hydrogen and carbon capture projects in the Humber.
On 8 April, they announced the plans are underpinned by a new cooperation agreement between the companies and will support the UK’s net zero transition, while accelerating the decarbonisation of the Humber and leading to thousands of skilled jobs. The two decarbonised power stations – Keadby 3 and Keadby Hydrogen – will form a clean power hub near Scunthorpe and be among the first in the world to use carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen technologies.
Keadby Hydrogen power station will have a peak demand of 1.8GW of hydrogen, producing zero emissions at the point of combustion. It will be the first major power station in the world that is 100% hydrogen fired and secure at-scale demand for hydrogen in the region for decades to come. If appropriate policy mechanisms are in place, it is possible for it to come online before the end of the decade, accounting for a third of the government’s 5GW hydrogen production goal.
Keadby 3, meanwhile, will be a 900MW power station fuelled by natural gas with carbon capture technology fitted, removing CO2 from its emissions. This captured CO2 will then be transported through shared pipelines before being stored under the Southern North Sea. It has the potential to come online by 2027 and could deliver 15% of the target of 10MT of carbon captured annually by 2030. Both projects would use the parallel hydrogen and CO2 pipeline infrastructure under development from the Zero Carbon Humber (ZCH) partnership, as well as the offshore CO2 infrastructure being developed by the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP).
Both Keadby Hydrogen and Keadby 3 are in the development stage, with SSE Thermal and Equinor to continue engagement with government, regulators and stakeholders ahead of final investment decisions being made, subject to the progress of policy frameworks.
Image: Stuart Nicol / SSE Thermal
