Carlton Power is to build its third green hydrogen hub in the UK on land within the Langage Energy Park (pictured) in the south west of England.
The 10MW hydrogen hub project, the first of its kind in Devon and Cornwall, will provide local energy intensive industries or those with transport fleets with easy access to hydrogen fuel, according to the company.
Hydrogen is expected to play a major role over the next 20-30 years in reducing the UK’s CO₂ emissions, helping the country’s journey towards Net Zero and the West Country’s own efforts to decarbonise.
The first phase of the project has secured planning consent from South Hams District Council, and is supported by the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership and Regen, the south-west low-carbon energy organisation.
Subject to the Langage Green Hydrogen hub receiving support from the Government’s Hydrogen Investment Package, a multi-million pound programme to encourage the growth of the hydrogen economy in the UK, the project will produce sustainable hydrogen fuel at scale within the next 2-3 years.
Its development and operation will create opportunities for businesses in the West Country to make Net Zero plans with hydrogen in mind.
In addition, the hydrogen hub is expected support the further growth of renewable electricity generation in the region, particularly marine-based technologies, by utilising it to produce and store hydrogen at times when renewable output is high, but electricity demand is low.
Carlton’s plans at Langage – and its proposed hydrogen hub projects in Cumbria and Greater Manchester – are a response to the UK Government’s plans for a green revolution which includes hydrogen and fuel cell technology as one of its key ambitions.
Carlton Power hydrogen projects director Eric Adams said: “Langage is ideally located for the West Country’s first low-carbon hydrogen hub.
“With the need, especially among industrial companies, to move away from fossil fuels and reach Net Zero, Langage Green Hydrogen and our other projects can make an important contribution to the transition to the hydrogen economy.
“A number of key industrial sectors in the south-west have limited options to decarbonise so a local source of hydrogen will accelerate their Net Zero plans and the region’s wider low-carbon ambitions.”