EDF Renewables to invest in Tees Green Hydrogen project

EDF Renewables UK  has announced plans for a green hydrogen production centre in Tees Valley in the vicinity of the former Redcar steelworks.

The Tees Green Hydrogen project will use green electricity from nearby Teeside Offshore Wind Farm, along with solar input from a farm being built to power the hydrogen electrolyser. The project will supply local business customers with hydrogen to support decarbonisation efforts and a significant reduction in industrial pollution.

The initiative, operated by EDF Renewables and Hynamics, a subsidiary of the EDF Group specialising in hydrogen, was announced at Teesworks with British Steel Lackenby and PD Ports.

In October last year, British Steel unveiled its Low-Carbon Roadmap, which sets out its plans to develop the application of hydrogen in its operations. Arrangements have already been made to supply PD Ports with hydrogen to decarbonise port operations and will further explore maritime decarbonisation more widely.

The development is the latest in a growing list of green initiatives proposed on Teesside. In its initial phase, the electrolyser will be 30-50MW in size, but is designed to be able to scale to over 500MW, in line with emerging demand.

Detailed plans for Tees Green Hydrogen will be released later this year, with a consultation on the 49.9 MW Tees solar development taking place later this month.

Tristan Zipfel, director of strategy and analysis at EDF Renewables UK, said: “Tees Green Hydrogen represents the latest instalment of our investment in Tees Valley, supporting its decarbonisation, reducing pollution and strengthening the local economy.

“Tees Green Hydrogen is a ground-breaking project, which will utilise locally produced green electricity to create the means to decarbonise local industry and safeguard its operation for many years to come, well beyond Net Zero 2050. In the current world climate the importance of locally produced renewable power cannot be underestimated.

“We are looking forward to working with the local supply chain in delivering this project and ultimately, in supporting Tees Valley in leading the way on green technology. We are proud to be part of accelerating the area to a net zero future.”

Christelle Rouillé, CEO of Hynamics, said: “We are dedicated to making low carbon and renewable hydrogen a decarbonisation driver of the entire economy, especially in the mobility and industrial sectors. We are very happy to support our partners in achieving their carbon neutrality objectives, in line with the climate change emergency.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, said: “It’s fantastic that EDF Renewables will be working closely with local companies, like British Steel, to help them reduce their emissions, adding to our growing reputation as a leader in net zero innovation, and helping our region play a vital role in the UK’s ambition to deliver 5GW of hydrogen production by 2030.”

Jacob Young, Conservative MP for Redcar and chair of the APPG for hydrogen, said: “Producing green hydrogen, using the power generated by off-shore wind, and then being able to offer that hydrogen to companies like British Steel is exactly the sort of investment we want here in Teesside. And given the current uncertainties in gas prices, it’s vital that we see more projects like this which demonstrate diversity in our energy sector and embrace the fuels of the future, like hydrogen.”

Frans Caljé, CEO of PD Ports, added: “As we operate within what is traditionally a ‘heavy industry’ sector, we recognise it’s of paramount importance that we do all that we can to implement the most sustainable methods across our operations so as to preserve our surrounding environment for generations to come. The Tees Green Hydrogen project is an exciting prospect for our region and will directly support our own internal ambitions to reach carbon neutrality across our Tees-based operations by 2027.”