The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
Hydrogen plant plan for banks of Tyne
DEAL SIGNED FOR SITE OF POWER STATION
THE site of a groundbreaking power station on Tyneside could be at the cutting edge of science once more thanks to plans for a hydrogen production plant on the banks of the Tyne.
French firm Lhyfe has signed a deal with Shepherd Offshore to set up a plant on the site of the former Neptune Bank Power Station in Wallsend.
The plant would produce hydrogen for organisations seeking to decarbonise their manufacturing and transport operations.
The Neptune Bank Power Station, which opened in 1901, was the first plant in the world to provide electricity for purposes other than domestic and street lighting, as well as being the first to generate electricity using three-phase electrical power distribution at a voltage of 5,500 volts.
It closed in 1915 when larger power stations were opened on Tyneside and the site was used for a glassworks and then bought by Shepherd Offshore in 2014.
Lhyfe – which set up a UK headquarters in Newcastle 18 months ago – said that its production facilities would have an initial capacity of 20 megawatts (MW) and be capable of producing up to eight tonnes of green hydrogen per day.
It said that would enable a hydrogen truck to travel approximately 100,000 km without emitting any
CO2. The company has not said how many jobs would be created in its plans but said that “each plant installation not only creates direct jobs but also opens up opportunities for local businesses to diversify and transfer skills”.
It said that it was committed to “ensuring a more sustainable future for the economy” and investing in its local workforce. A planning application for the site is expected to be submitted in the coming weeks.
The proposed plant would occupy four acres of leased industrial-zoned land along the north bank of the River Tyne that was once part of the Neptune Bank Power Station, an early 20th-century
pioneer in high-voltage power distribution and a model for the National Grid.
The plan would use green electricity from the grid, but Lhyfe is also exploring options to source power from local renewable assets, such as solar and wind.
Taia Kronborg, chief business officer at Lhyfe, said: “We are excited to announce North Tyneside as the site for our first UK green hydrogen production project.
“The development of green hydrogen projects is critical if major energy users are to decarbonise their operations. We hope this project will not only help the North East but the whole of the UK reach its net zero targets.”
Charles Shepherd, managing director at Shepherd Offshore, said: “Shepherd Offshore is fully committed to yet another critical milestone in the growing strength and evolution of the River Tyne and looks forward to welcoming Lhyfe to the north bank of the Tyne.”
Lhyfe opened its first hydrogen plant in Pays de la Loire, in western France, in 2021, and has other sites elsewhere in France and other parts of Europe either under construction or in planning.
It says it is in “advanced talks” with several energy-intensive businesses in the area and further afield in the UK, including those with transport fleets that could use hydrogen in their operations.