What is the Hydrogen Valley?

Low carbon hydrogen will play a significant role in the future energy mix, be vital for the UK’s energy security, and offer the potential to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors such as industry and heavy transport, as well as be considered for residential heating alongside electrification.

The Hydrogen Valley programme is one of many hydrogen initiatives and is an important element of the development of hydrogen at a national level due to its key location across the middle of England.

The aim of the programme is to establish a vision and kickstart the hydrogen economy in the programme region. This involves investigating the role of hydrogen in the future energy mix across a number of sectors and identifying the need for developing the necessary infrastructure to support this.

Setting the scene

The programme region is largely land-locked with little offshore wind potential. Therefore, a key part of the programme is to better understand how hydrogen could be produced locally as well as imported from future hydrogen production centres across the UK to meet local demand.

Our goal

The programme will explore how to maximise the use of existing gas infrastructure to benefit the consumer through low-cost, widespread access to hydrogen – delivering the net zero energy system of the future while boosting local economies by supporting existing jobs and creating new jobs.
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The Future

Hydrogen Valley Objectives

  • Establish the hydrogen economy in the region to accelerate industrial decarbonisation

  • Attract hydrogen investments in the region to enhance socio-economic benefits associated with the energy transition

  • Explore infrastructure opportunities to secure long-term, low-cost hydrogen in the region

The Hydrogen Valley is being delivered in collaboration by Cadent and National Gas Transmission (formerly known as National Grid Gas Transmission), two of the UK’s largest gas networks. Cadent and National Gas Transmission are working together on this important, cross-network initiative to demonstrate how their networks can be repurposed to deliver hydrogen throughout the UK.

Programme team

Cadent

Cadent Gas operates and maintains the largest gas distribution network in the UK, serving the North West, West Midlands, East Midlands, South Yorkshire, East of England, and North London. Cadent seeks to connect hydrogen producers and industrial off-takers across the Hydrogen Valley programme region.

National Gas Transmission

National Gas Transmission owns and operates the high-pressure gas transmission network in Great Britain and is responsible for safely and efficiently transporting gas throughout the country. National Gas Transmission aims to develop a hydrogen backbone by connecting industrial clusters across the UK through Project Union.