Member Article

Contract awarded for major hydrogen pipeline construction from Humber and Teesside industrial hub

A leading infrastructure consultancy has won a contract to provide land services and initial consultation for the construction of a major hydrogen cluster scheme which will help the UK reach its net-zero targets.

Fisher German will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team including Worley, J.Murphy & Sons, SLR and Camargue to support the pre-FEED and FEED of Cadent’s East Coast Hydrogen Pipeline (ECHP), which will connect hydrogen plants to end users, and other strategic networks in the east region.

The multi-disciplinary team will be identifying the consenting regime and developing the consenting strategy in preparation for FEED.

The project led by East Coast Hydrogen (ECH2) will connect 10 gigawatts (GW) of hydrogen production from Humber and Teesside industrial hubs to the gas network. If completed, the project is set to convert up to 39,000 businesses over a 15-year timescale. It is also estimated to create tens of thousands of jobs in the future hydrogen economy.

Mark Gilkes, Partner at Fisher German and its DCO Land Strategy Lead, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the project to assist Cadent and the team with identification of landowners, land constraints and, in the future, to secure land rights for the East Coast Hydrogen Pipeline.

“Before any potential NSIP like this can make progress, landowners along the route of the pipeline must be consulted extensively and their views considered by the Planning Inspectorate. “Fisher German has great experience in this area, having worked on over 16 DCOs. We are also currently working on securing a DCO for Cadent’s HyNet hydrogen pipeline in the North West.

“We have worked with Cadent around securing land rights for major projects and repair work extensively since it separated from National Grid in 2016, we are best placed to deliver this crucial piece of work. “Hydrogen is set to be a key part of the solution to the climate crisis and the country’s goal to reach net-zero by 2050, and we are really looking forward to playing our part in making this happen.”

Adam Knight, Cadent Project Director, added: “This is a major milestone not only in the commencement of the first stage of design, but setting down another marker in Cadent’s ambitions and efforts to transition from natural gas to low carbon hydrogen, supporting UK economic growth and playing an integral role in the decarbonisation of our networks.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .