SSE and Equinor Get Green Light for UK’s First Hydrogen-to-Power Plant

SSE Thermal and Equinor have secured planning consent for the development of the Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder, a project set to become the UK's first hydrogen-to-power facility. The site will be located at the Aldbrough Gas Storage facility on the East Yorkshire coast, combining hydrogen production, underground salt cavern storage, and dispatchable power generation.

The facility will integrate a 35MW proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser powered by renewable energy sourced via a power purchase agreement. The hydrogen produced will be stored in an underground salt cavern and used to generate electricity through a 50MW 100% hydrogen-fired open-cycle gas turbine.

This design aligns with the UK's Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard, which sets limits on greenhouse gas emissions across the hydrogen production lifecycle. By colocating production, storage, and generation, the project is expected to reduce infrastructure costs typically associated with hydrogen transport and handling.

The Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder is part of the UK's broader strategy to scale hydrogen technologies as a low-carbon solution for sectors such as heavy industry and transport. The project was shortlisted in Hydrogen Allocation Round Two (HAR2) under the government's Hydrogen Production Business Model, which provides revenue support for early-stage hydrogen initiatives.

The facility is expected to be operational in the early 2030s, serving both as a functional power plant and a demonstration site for large-scale hydrogen use cases. Technologies such as PEM electrolysis and salt cavern storage, central to this project, represent maturing solutions in the evolving hydrogen economy.

Source: current-news.co.uk