Q: Please briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience with regards to industrial decarbonisation
Matt Sims (MS): I am the Operations Manager for the project phases of bp’s global hydrogen portfolio. My role covers the current scope of bp’s hydrogen ambitions, including blue and green hydrogen and hydrogen export vectors such as green ammonia, e-methanol and sustainable aviation fuels. Our teams are working on developing the operations and business delivery models required to bring these new energy technologies to life.
bp believe hydrogen represents a significant opportunity in a net zero future and will be a key part of the energy transition, playing an important role in decarbonising high-temperature industrial processes. In the UK, hydrogen is set to play an essential role in decarbonizing industries, particularly those that are difficult to electrify.
Teesside in the North East of England is the planned location of two of bp’s proposed hydrogen projects, H2Teesside and HyGreen Teesside, which together could deliver over 15% of the UK government’s target of developing 10GW of hydrogen production by 2030.
H2Teesside aims to be one of the biggest blue hydrogen production facilities in the UK, delivering economic growth for Teesside and the domestically‐produced low carbon hydrogen that the UK needs. HyGreen Teesside aims to be one of the biggest green hydrogen facilities in the UK and is expected to fuel a range of industries and transport.
Ed Gilford (EG): Through a pioneering programme called Project Union, National Gas are supporting the UKs net zero targets by developing a national 100% hydrogen pipeline network which will connect key strategic locations, which includes the industrial clusters, to link hydrogen production and storage to hydrogen demand. Project Union is looking at developing the backbone through predominantly repurposing existing natural gas pipelines to create a network around 2000km long.
In my role as Hydrogen Development Engineer, I sit within the Project Union team and I am responsible for the pre-FEED study for one of the regions, East Coast, that make up the Project Union network. This involves looking at the suitability of existing infrastructure to be repurposed. In instances sections of pipelines cannot be repurposed due to technical, economic or location factors an assessment for new pipeline routing options is carried out. The development of these repurposed and new build sections requires extensive stakeholder engagement across the hydrogen value chain to ensure we develop the most cost effective and efficient network solution that enables widespread access to hydrogen.
Simon Rees (SR): I’m the Managing Director of Element Digital Engineering, the engineering consultancy arm of Element Materials Technology, a global business with over 9000 people in 270 locations around the world. Almost every aspect of our business touches upon decarbonisation, whether it’s assuring the materials and design of new technologies, assessing the safety and environmental compliance of hydrogen, ammonia, or CO2 capture facilities, or supporting the design of alternative technologies. It’s now everywhere in what we do.
Dominic Berry, bp (DB): I am the lead mechanical engineer for the NEP and NZTP projects on Teesside. As part of a team, I’m working to overcome many of the first-of-a-kind challenges associated with building an industrial CO2 gathering and sequestration system, as well as a carbon capture power station.
Q: What is the top challenge facing your industry at present?
MS: The hydrogen market is still in its infancy, with little demand today for hydrogen other than to power petrochemical processes. The markets are still under development, as is the landscape for funding, pricing and demand. This makes designing and delivering hydrogen projects challenging and highly interesting.
We’re getting started by putting hydrogen to work for our own business at refineries in Europe and regional industrial hubs in the UK, but our approach will need to continue to evolve as changes to technology and market conditions happen over the coming years.
EG: A decision on the hydrogen transport and storage business models. The new business models will establish the principles of UK Government’s support for hydrogen transport and storage projects. It is critical that the new business models provide the right incentives for investment. The risk in delay on this announcement is extension of project delivery timelines and therefore missing key government dates for hydrogen and decarbonisation targets.
SR: We are pan-industry, but it’s the same everywhere – speed. There’s so much to do, and a general shortage of the expertise needed to do it.
DB: Aligning the government approvals process with the capital project timeline.
Q: How would you say your industry has evolved over the past two years?
MS: When I started in my role in early 2021, interest in hydrogen was mainly focussed on the petrochemical sector and for refinery fuel decarbonisation. Now interest in hydrogen has expanded rapidly to cover lots of other interesting sectors.
Initially, bp is focusing on the local – projects to help us decarbonise our own operations through the industrial use of hydrogen for power generation. The next step is regional – ramping up production at local sites to turn them into regional hubs that provide lower-carbon energy solutions for customers in industrial clusters and particularly in hard-to-abate sectors where hydrogen can have the most impact.
EG: Over the last 2 years there has been significant progress in the development of hydrogen projects throughout the UK. In part, this has been driven by government policies and funding, such as the track 1 clusters and also the hydrogen allocation rounds. Also, companies such as National Gas are leading the way with innovation projects that are proving the technical and safety case for use of hydrogen to decarbonise industry.
SR: It’s certainly become more global, despite current tensions. The UK engineering industry is more outward-looking than ever, keener and more able to engage with businesses anywhere in the world.
DB: We’ve moved from FEED level studies to the point at which we’re ready to execute the UKs first zero carbon power and industrial cluster.
Q: What developments are going on in your industry that may have an impact on the development of future approaches to decarbonisation?
MS: Rapid technology advances, particularly related to green hydrogen production, are likely over the coming years and have the potential to significantly reduce the cost of hydrogen supply and open new opportunities and markets.
Access to renewable energy is also likely to become more important over time and hydrogen can play a role in helping to manage intermittency – when renewable energy sources like solar and wind cannot always consistently produce energy at all hours of the day.
EG: There is a significant amount of ongoing innovation work being undertaken by gas transmission and distribution companies looking at the feasibility of repurposing existing methane pipelines to carry hydrogen. To date the work has shown that this will be broadly feasible. What this means is that the development of hydrogen networks will be able to happen at a quick pace and for lower investment compared to a new build network. This will allow industry outside of the clusters, where most of the hydrogen production is, access to hydrogen to decarbonise and hydrogen producers to scale their production to meet this additional demand.
SR: There are big questions about where exactly the right balance lies between electrification, hydrogen, and ammonia as industrial energy sources. Ultimately, the primary sources will be nuclear, wind, and solar, with hydrogen and ammonia used as storage and transportation vectors, but to what extent is still uncertain.
DB: There appears to be an ongoing reappraisal of the feasibility of some hydrogen projects, especially green hydrogen projects. Domestic use of hydrogen seems to have stalled. Industrial decarbonisation in the near term looks likely to be via carbon capture from industrial emitters.
Q: What will you be presenting at the seminar and how will this benefit participants?
MS: I intend to talk about the challenges facing the nascent hydrogen industry and how as engineers we might consider these. We should recognise that new challenges will emerge as the industry develops and that we will need to learn and adapt.
EG: I will be presenting on Project Union which is National Gas’s programme of works looking at creating a hydrogen transmission network that will connect the industrial clusters. I will present the benefits that this network will bring the clusters, and how National Gas are assessing the suitability of existing infrastructure to be repurposed for hydrogen. This will be beneficial for participants as firstly it will highlight the decarbonisation opportunity of hydrogen and how Project Union can provide industries access to hydrogen. Also, it will highlight to participants what consideration need to be made when looking at repurposing infrastructure for hydrogen.
SR: I’ll be chairing, so my aim will be to maximise debate, and to tease out the key issues.
DB: The technology challenges associated with a large carbon capture plant.
Q: Which other speakers and presentations are you looking forward to hearing at the forthcoming seminar?
MS: Decarbonisation of industry is new and developing and there is much to learn from others. So I would say I am really looking forward to all of the speakers!
EG: I’m most interested in hearing from those presenting on CCS projects such as Humber Zero, VPI, and NZT Power, BP. As most of my work focuses on hydrogen it will be interesting to hear about another pathway for decarbonisation, CCS, and the challenges and successes that they are experiencing in their project development.
SR: As chair I won’t pick favourites!
DB: I’m particularly looking forward to hearing the Health and Safety Executive’s view on safety and the energy transition, and the direction that legislation will take in the future.
Q: Why is it important for engineers and industry to come together at this event and share best practice?
MS: Industrial decarbonisation will be critical to the UK’s net zero objectives and has an important role to play in the energy transition – but it is not without a myriad of challenges. Some of those we are aware of today and some are yet to be discovered. Either way, we as engineers will need to find solutions as the hydrogen industry continues to grow and evolve.
EG: To reach net zero in the UK companies and industries need to come together collectively to share lessons learnt on challenges faced on their decarbonisation journey and how they’ve been overcome. Climate change is an issue that affects us all and as engineers we have the privilege of being able to tackle this through our work.
SR: The scale of the challenge is so great that an engaged and enthusiastic community is essential. I’m sure this event will help.
DB: There are opportunities to learn from one another, understand best practice and align solutions. There is a great opportunity for the industry to standardise. Without “cross pollination” at these kinds of events, we’re at risk of doing unnecessary work and incurring additional costs in an industry which will be severely cost constrained.
The Decarbonising the Industrial Clusters seminar will be taking place on 16 April 2024 at the Hardwick Hall Hotel in Sedgefield.
Join this seminar to:
- Learn about the latest developments across the decarbonisation plans of the industrial clusters
- Find out how industry is incorporating the growth of carbon capture storage and hydrogen production in line with net-zero goals
- Hear about the ongoing engineering challenges associated with scaling the decarbonisation of heavy industry
- Benefit from face-to-face networking with key academic and industrial players
- Understand the connection between leadership, systems thinking, engineering operation and the circular economy
To book your place, please visit the event website.