Unilever, the entity behind household brands such as TRESemmé, Persil and much more, today (March 9) said it has successfully used 100% hydrogen in the manufacturing process of its personal and home care products at its Port Sunlight factory in Liverpool, UK.

Believed to be the world’s first large-scale demonstration of 100% hydrogen-firing in a consumer goods environment, the project was led by Progressive Energy and will act as part of the wider HyNet Industrial Fuel Switching programme to help achieve net-zero ambitions.

Madeleine McLeod, Factory Director Port Sunlight at Unilever, said, “At Port Sunlight, alongside Unilever sites around the world, we’re adapting and innovating our factories and processes to help reduce the impact we have on our planet and to progress our climate commitments.

“In our operations, we’ve already reduced our emissions by 64% since 2015, and now we’re working towards our commitment to have zero emissions by 2030. To achieve this, we’re looking at new technologies, which is why we’re excited to be working with Progressive Energy to trail the use of hydrogen at an industrial scale.

“The results will help us better understand the role hydrogen could play in decarbonising our facility sites and provide insight and learnings to support wider-industry action towards net-zero too,” McLeod explained.

Unilever’s move is just the latest of hydrogen progressions in the Northwest. Home to HyNet, the UK’s industrial decarbonisation project, the region will soon be home to the UK’s first 100% pipeline network, along with a variety of other large-scale hydrogen developments.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said, “I’ve been a longstanding and passionate advocate of innovative ways to tackle climate change. HyNet is a revolutionary approach to clean, green energy, and has the capacity to protect and create thousands of high-skilled, high-paid jobs across the region as we transition towards zero-emissions solutions.

“It is the Liverpool City Region that is at the heart of HyNet, from pioneering trials of new technology in St.Helens, the Wirral, to carbon storage in Liverpool Bay.”