WARRINGTON South MP Andy Carter is calling on the Government to back a hydrogen project tipped to boost investment and create 6,000 green jobs.

HyNet North West incorporates carbon capture, hydrogen production and delivery and, as such, is currently the most fully developed hydrogen project in the UK.

A collection of world-leading organisations have come together to develop the scheme.

The hydrogen network, a world first, will produce, store and distribute hydrogen to decarbonise industry, flexible power generation, transport and heat across the north west of England and north Wales.

Together with carbon capture and storage, these technologies have the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10 million tonnes every year by 2030 – the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road.

HyNet offers a cost effective, deliverable and fast route to decarbonise the north west industrial cluster and other sectors of the economy including transport, flexible power generation and heat.

It will support the recovery from Covid-19 through substantial investment in the region and kick-start the hydrogen economy.

As well as securing existing jobs, HyNet is tipped to create a further 6,000 permanent jobs in the region and many more during construction and across the wider UK.

Meanwhile, the combined effects of direct spend on HyNet and related inward investment is expected to result in £31 billion GVA for the UK and around £17 billion for the north west to 2050.

Funding of HyNet North West through the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge competition is essential to delivery of the 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution.

Hynet North West is just one of several industrial clusters in the UK bidding for funding, alongside, Teeside, Humberside, Aberdeen, South Wales.

But it has been labelled as ‘imperative’ that all of these industrial clusters funded as they are ‘all essential’ for the UK to meet its net zero target.

Mr Carter said: “Hydrogen will play a massive part in our future energy plans and I’m keen for Warrington and wider Cheshire to push forward projects like HyNet to aid our transition to net zero.

“This project will provide a bedrock to level up across the region, creating around 6,000 permanent highly skilled green jobs and delivering clean hydrogen energy into our local network to heat our homes.  

“Warrington South also has a wealth of manufacturing plants and innovative companies who have already got in touch asking me to support this project and to make sure it gets the funding it deserves.

“It will have a massive boost to the supply chain across Warrington, and critically will work with younger people and apprentices to upskill and make the case for working in the energy sector.”