A consortium of energy leaders has submitted a bid for approximately £500 million ($674 million) in government funding to construct a massive hydrogen pipeline and storage network across northeast England.

Operating under the "Humber Hydrogen" banner, the group, which aims to revitalize the region’s industrial heartland, includes National Gas, Centrica, Equinor, and SSE Thermal. 

The proposal seeks backing from the British government’s Hydrogen Transport and Storage Business Model, a competitive fund established last summer to kickstart the nation’s first regional hydrogen infrastructure.

At the centre of the proposal is a 54-kilometer (33-mile) pipeline designed to bridge production and storage sites across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. 

Key connections would include Easington, a planned 1-gigawatt blue hydrogen plant spearheaded by Centrica and Equinor, and Equinor’s H2H Saltend hydrogen project.

The project proposal also includes the repurposing of existing natural gas storage caverns into hydrogen storage by SSE and Equinor.

If successful, the network would eventually integrate into a wider national transmission system, allowing hydrogen to be transported, stored, and consumed by heavy industry throughout the region.

The Humber bid faces stiff competition. Other major utilities, including Cadent, are vying for the same pot of money to fund projects like the 150-kilometer East Coast network and the 100-kilometer North West Hydrogen Pipeline.

Ian Radley, Chief Commercial Officer at National Gas, called the Humber "the obvious choice" for the pilot program, citing the region's unique mix of industrial demand and geological storage capacity.

The push for hydrogen comes at a critical time for the Humber since the region has recently grappled with the closure of a refinery and a bioethanol plant, alongside job cuts in the chemical sector. 

Proponents argue the pipeline will act as a lifeline for local industry, though skeptics point to the high costs of hydrogen compared to international imports.

“The Humber is integral to the UK’s clean power and economic growth missions,” said Kelly de Azevedo Dent, Development Director at SSE Thermal.