Tees Valley Mayor has called
on the Government to use the expertise in Teesside, gained through
generations of working in the engineering, processing and chemicals
sectors, to unleash the potential of hydrogen as a fuel source.
In order to capitalise on the huge amount of expertise across the
region, Mayor Houchen has urged the Government to establish the
National Hydrogen Centre in Teesside, further strengthening the
region’s clean growth ambitions and paving the way for more clean
energy investment and good quality, well paid jobs for local
people.
This will allow new hydrogen technologies, including for cars,
buses, trains, bin lorries and trucks, to be used in Teesside -
paving the way for more clean energy jobs and investment.
The National Hydrogen Centre would also compliment plans to build
the world’s biggest hydrogen refuelling station in Teesside –
plans which have already been backed by Government.
The region already produces 50% of the UK’s hydrogen, much of
which is used in existing industrial processes.
The basing of the National Hydrogen Centre in the Tees Valley
will also build upon the building blocks put in place by Mayor
Houchen to position the region as the number one place in the
country for hydrogen research, this includes providing £14million
to establish the Tees Valley Net Zero Innovation Centre. The new
centre will be built next to TWI in Middlesbrough to form a new
innovation campus focused on clean energy research and
development.
Generations of Teessiders have worked in the fields of
engineering, process innovation and chemicals, allowing the
region to develop an enviable reputation as a place to go when a
problem needs solving.
Coupling this with the can do, problem solving attitude and
technical knowhow with the new National Hydrogen Centre will
allow the government to turbocharge hydrogen research and speed
up progress meeting its CO2 reduction targets.
Mayor Houchen said: “For well over 100 years Teesside, Darlington
and Hartlepool have been at the forefront of innovations that
have reshaped the world. If the government want to do so again,
they should bring the National Hydrogen Centre to Teesside and
allow our engineers to revolutionise the world again – this time
with our work on hydrogen.
“Investing in Hydrogen is also key to my plan for local jobs –
creating the good quality, well paid jobs of the future and
developing the clean energy technologies that will keep the UK
moving.
“There is absolutely no need to reinvent the wheel, our region
makes more than 50% on the UK’s hydrogen, we are already
investing large amounts of money into hydrogen research and we
have the expertise to supercharge clean energy development.
“All that will be achieved by setting up the new centre somewhere
else will be a duplication of what’s already in Teesside -
meaning a slower introduction of new ground-breaking technologies
and more limited progress towards our ambitious C02 reduction
targets.”
, Conservative MP for Redcar and Chair of the All-Party
Parliamentary Group on Hydrogen, said: "As I mentioned earlier in
the year, new hydrogen technologies represent a major part of the
UK's cleaner, greener future and I want Redcar and Cleveland to
be at the centre of this exciting emerging sector.
"It's great to be part of a united Conservative front pushing for
success for all of Teesside and I'm certain that working
alongside Ben and his team, we can put Redcar front and centre of
those plans.
"This would be a huge investment for Teesside bringing thousands
of jobs to an area that is ready and raring to go.
“We’re already at the forefront of Hydrogen technology with
Northern Gas Networks undertaking a world first trial for
Hydrogen in an existing gas network in South Bank.
“The National Hydrogen Centre is an exciting step, and the mayor
has my full support.”
