Teesside is leading a new national energy revolution, with the promise of thousands of jobs and millions of pounds of investment.

At the centre of the plans is an audacious scheme to make hydrogen here and pump it through the National Grid to Leeds where it will be used to heat and power thousands of homes.

Teesside already produces around half of the country’s hydrogen and uses it for industrial processes.

This means once again our set of unique skills has been recognised nationally and, because hydrogen produces more carbon than natural gas, our world-leading capacity for capturing and storing carbon would be absolutely vital.

The plan calls for four huge production units called Steam Methane Reformers to be built on Teesside to produce enough gas for the Leeds homes.

Northern Gas Networks revealed details of the project at the launch of a report calling for the Leeds city region conversion in 2026-29, followed by a rollout across the UK, all using existing modern pipelines.

Currently, over 30% of all UK carbon emissions come from domestic heating and cooking. A UK-wide conversion to hydrogen will reduce heat emissions by a minimum of 73%.

A hydrogen reformer which could be built on Teesside to take hydrogen to Leeds

As the third largest city in the UK, Leeds was identified as the most suitable area to start conversion because of its high energy demand with the project attracting widespread support from local authorities and businesses including Leeds City Council, the Leeds City Region LEP and the Tees Valley Unlimited LEP here on Teesside.

Middlesbrough Mayor David Budd , who is also chair of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, told The Gazette: “We will need Government to join in with this to help it work because funding for Carbon Capture and other such high tech projects is difficult without their assistance, but the possibilities of linking up with Leeds are very interesting and it feels like it will be real, but certainly some years away.

“Fifty per cent of the hydrogen produced in the UK comes from Teesside so we are an obvious place to come to and it fits with the whole industrial strategy, which is based on a circular economy - where products and waste products from one plant can be the feedstocks for another. The Combined Authority is encouraging this sort of joined-up working because there is a mutual benefit there and the amount of energy being produced means there is a great opportunity, if the Government takes it.

“There have been quite a few false dawns with the hydrogen economy and how we might all be driving hydrogen cars, but it feels like it all makes sense with a production here and a need down in Leeds, why wouldn’t you join them together?

Middlesbrough mayor David Budd
Middlesbrough mayor David Budd

Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment and sustainability said: “Transforming Leeds into a hydrogen city would be a bold step. It represents a massive opportunity for the city and the north of England to lead a transition to a clean, low carbon economy. It was massively encouraging to hear the enthusiasm and interest in the project.”

Dan Sadler, H21 Project Manager at Northern Gas Networks, said: “To date there has never been a holistic solution presented to decarbonise heat in the UK. Converting the UK gas grid to hydrogen, starting with the network in Leeds, will be a major step towards meeting the UK’s carbon reduction targets and H21 could be that solution.

“A hydrogen gas network could become an anchor for further innovations in the sector, and in other industries such as transport and electricity generation. It’s an exciting opportunity for the North.”