Gas distribution company Cadent has revealed plans for a blue hydrogen pipeline across the north of England, sparking a wave of environmentalist pushback.
The gas giant, owned by a syndicate of firms led by investment bank Macquarie, has said the project will be “the first building block in a wider network” of hydrogen pipelines across the UK.
It comes just days after energy secretary Ed Miliband pledged £22bn in government funding towards carbon capture projects.
First reported by the Telegraph, the 60-mile underground pipeline, named Hynet will run from a hydrogen plant near Ellesmere Port and into nearby factories in Cheshire.
The scheme is said to be a UK-first, serving customers such as Tata Chemicals, Heineken, and Kraft Heinz.
However, multiple campaign groups, such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, have since expressed opposition.
Critics say the process of making so-called blue hydrogen, which relies heavily on fossil fuels, is not compliant with the green transition.
Still, Angela Needle, director of strategy at Cadent, told the Telegraph the scheme will enable growth and support the government in achieving its 2030 mission for clean power.
Needle added: “The project was formed to meet the demands of industry who seek to decarbonise as they deliver their products and continue to compete in the global economy.
“We need to support these essential industries in their efforts to ensure it is decarbonisation, not de-industrialisation that happens, and Hynet does this.”
Cadent has been contacted by City AM for comment.