Wood, the global consulting and engineering company, has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HYGEN Energy to accelerate the production of green hydrogen for decarbonising transportation in the United Kingdom (UK). This marks a tangible step towards delivering the UK Government’s strategy to achieve 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030.
The MoU will see Wood bring together its decades of hydrogen experience along with its consulting, projects and operations expertise to develop solutions for future hydrogen production plants across the UK, beginning with the conceptual design for the facility at Herne Bay, Kent.
The Herne Bay facility will generate green hydrogen from existing offshore wind farms to be used in zero emission mobility transport solutions in the Southeast of England. It is planned to commence production by the middle of 2023 and, on final completion, the plant will have a production capacity of between eight and nine tonnes of green hydrogen per day, making it a true driving force in the UK’s journey towards a lower carbon future.
Craig Shanaghey, president, operations across Europe, Middle East and Africa said: “At Wood, we are committed to working with our clients to tackle global energy challenges and we know that producing hydrogen – economically and at pace – will be critical as we transition to a more integrated, lower carbon energy mix.
“With our hydrogen project track record and expertise across the full lifecycle, we are delighted to be working with HYGEN Energy and look forward to developing and delivering the impactful solutions which will play a key role in contributing to the UK government’s hydrogen strategy and ambitious net-zero carbon emissions targets.”
Jo Bamford, founder and executive chairman of HYGEN Energy, said the MOU with Wood marked a positive step forward for the UK’s hydrogen sector: “We’re proud to be working alongside a company with as much expertise and hydrogen knowledge as Wood. They share our belief that the acceleration of green hydrogen production is vital if we are to drive the hydrogen economy forwards in the UK.
“At HYGEN Energy, we have ambitious plans to build a network of green hydrogen production plants across the UK to provide zero-emission fuel for a number of uses, create strong jobs, and to help position the UK as a world-leader in the hydrogen sector. With partners on board such as Wood, we’re confident that we will realise those ambitions.”
Hydrogen plays a key strategic role in Wood’s future. This contract award follows a series of wins in the first half of 2021, with Wood securing over 30 separate hydrogen contracts spanning green, blue and bio-hydrogen projects. In July, Wood announced it became a steering member of The Hydrogen Council to ensure hydrogen plays a vital role in accelerating the energy transition and the journey towards a more sustainable future.
