Wood, the global consulting and
engineering company, has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with HYGEN Energy to accelerate the production of green
hydrogen for decarbonising transportation in the United Kingdom
(UK). This marks a tangible step towards delivering the UK
Government’s strategy to achieve 5GW of low carbon hydrogen
production capacity by 2030.
The MoU will see Wood bring together
its decades of hydrogen experience along with its consulting,
projects and operations expertise to develop solutions for future
hydrogen production plants across the UK, beginning with the
conceptual design for the facility at Herne Bay,
Kent.
The Herne Bay facility will generate
green hydrogen from existing offshore wind farms to be used in
zero emission mobility transport solutions in the Southeast of
England. It is planned to commence production by the middle
of 2023 and, on final completion, the plant will have a
production capacity of between eight and nine tonnes of
green hydrogen per day, making it a true driving force in
the UK’s journey towards a lower carbon future.
Craig Shanaghey, President,
Operations across Europe, Middle East and Africa said: “At Wood,
we are committed to working with our clients to tackle global
energy challenges and we know that producing hydrogen –
economically and at pace – will be critical as we transition to a
more integrated, lower carbon energy mix.
“With our hydrogen project track
record and expertise across the full lifecycle, we are delighted
to be working with HYGEN Energy and look forward to developing
and delivering the impactful solutions which will play a key role
in contributing to the UK government’s hydrogen strategy and
ambitious net-zero carbon emissions targets.”
Jo Bamford, founder and Executive
Chairman of HYGEN Energy, said the MOU with Wood marked a
positive step forward for the UK’s hydrogen sector: “We’re proud
to be working alongside a company with as much expertise and
hydrogen knowledge as Wood. They share our belief that the
acceleration of green hydrogen production is vital if we are to
drive the hydrogen economy forwards in the UK.
“At HYGEN Energy, we have ambitious
plans to build a network of green hydrogen production plants
across the UK to provide zero-emission fuel for a number of uses,
create strong jobs, and to help position the UK as a world-leader
in the hydrogen sector. With partners on board such as Wood,
we’re confident that we will realise those
ambitions.”
Hydrogen plays a key strategic role in
Wood’s future. This contract award follows a series of wins in
the first half of 2021, with Wood securing over 30 separate
hydrogen contracts spanning green, blue and bio-hydrogen
projects. In July, Wood announced it became a steering member of
The Hydrogen Council to ensure hydrogen plays a vital role in
accelerating the energy transition and the journey towards a more
sustainable future.
