Under a Development Agreement, the partners will collaborate on a Concept Study to assess the technical and economic feasibility of how HiiRoc can act as the hydrogen producer for the pipeline project.

At EMP’s site in Nottingham, the firm plans to produce up to three tonnes of turquoise hydrogen per day, with plans to scale up to 50 tonnes if the wider consortium plan is realised.

That hydrogen would then be injected into or stored within the pipeline network, which is set to connect producers and consumers in Nottingham and Birmingham.

The agreement with HiiRoc also supports the EMP consortium’s plans to process up to 200 tonnes per day of biomethane, converting it into 50 tonnes of hydrogen using the TPE technology.

Tim Davies, Chief Executive at HiiRoc, said the collaboration “will drive significant advancements in the decarbonisation of energy infrastructure and the production of carbon-negative hydrogen.”

Following the concept study, the partners plan to build a full commercial project.

HiiRoc’s technology produces hydrogen from natural gas or biomethane using electric plasma, rather than water electrolysis. The British firm said it uses about one-fifth the electricity of electrolysis production.

Instead of CO2, the process produces solid carbon, making it Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard (LCHS) compliant.

HiiRoc previously said it’s scheduled to install its first commercial units in 2026.

Agile Energy Recovery has agreed to trial and potentially deploy HiiRoc’s system at its Thainstone energy park in Aberdeenshire, which can process up to 200,000 tonnes of waste a year.