Led by East Coast Hydrogen (ECH2), the project plans to connect 10GW of hydrogen production in the Humber and Teesside industrial hubs to gas networks. UK gas firm Cadent aims to connect hydrogen supplies between Humberside and Northampton, potentially creating a 240km network.

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Worley will deliver a study for Cadent to understand how to transition natural gas supply into hydrogen and provide crucial information on the pipeline’s potential route and sizing, before undertaking a pre-FEED study.

Speaking at the UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Conference (UKHFCC) last week (March 7), Dr. Angela Needle, Director of Strategy at Cadent, told attendees that gas networks could unlock widescale hydrogen use.

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Commenting on the contract, Chris Gill, Vice-President for Hydrogen at Worley, said, “We are delighted to be working alongside Cadent to deliver the East Coast Hydrogen Pipeline (ECHP). The project represents an unmissable opportunity for collaboration between the Government and the private sector to deliver on the UK’s bold decarbonisation targets.”

The ECH2 group comprises a collaborative partnership with Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, and National Gas Transmission, with the project hoped to support the UK Government’s plans of meeting its 2050 Net Zero targets.

Adam Knight, Project Director at ECHP, described the contact as a major milestone for not only the project but Cadent’s wider ambitions to transform natural gas grids to low-carbon hydrogen.

“We look forward to starting this journey with Worley,” Knight said. “With the UK industrial clusters involved known for their considerable emissions, we have a true opportunity to create change and help make a significant difference.”