National Gas has moved the proposed St Fergus–Teesside hydrogen pipeline into an engineering design and planning phase, advancing plans for a UK-wide hydrogen transmission network.
The 563km route would connect the St Fergus gas terminal in Aberdeenshire with Teesside in north-east England. It is the second phase of Project Union, National Gas’s proposed network of around 2,414km linking hydrogen producers, storage sites, power stations and industrial users.
Engineering and route planning
National Gas said the current phase will establish technical requirements, develop cost estimates and assess project risks ahead of detailed design and construction.
The company has appointed WSP for routing and siting work, Fisher German for land services, Premtech for engineering support and Addleshaw Goddard for legal advice.
National Gas intends to repurpose sections of its 8,000km National Transmission System where feasible, with new pipeline sections built where required. The proposed network would transport 100% hydrogen.
Initial development is focused on local transmission links between hydrogen production and storage facilities and industrial centres in the Humber and Teesside. These links are intended to be integrated over time into an approximately 2,400km hydrogen pipeline along Great Britain’s east coast, with potential for further expansion.
Project Union development
The St Fergus–Teesside section follows Project Union: East Coast, a 480km route connecting Teesside through Yorkshire and the Humber to the East Midlands, which is already under development.
National Gas said the St Fergus–Teesside phase is included in a £164m package supporting three projects that together could deliver more than half of the proposed national hydrogen network.
Early analysis commissioned by the company estimates that Project Union could support around 3,100 jobs at peak construction and generate approximately £300m a year in direct local gross value added.
If built, the network would create a proposed clean-energy corridor between industrial clusters in Scotland and the North East. National Gas said it could supply low-carbon hydrogen to power generation and industries that are difficult to electrify, including chemicals, steel and heavy manufacturing.
National Gas chief commercial officer Ian Radley said: “Reaching the advanced engineering design phase for the St Fergus to Teesside section of Project Union is a significant milestone in the development of Britain’s hydrogen transport infrastructure.
“This network will play an important role in connecting hydrogen clusters across key industrial regions, to power British industry and strengthen our energy security.
“By progressing this next phase of the national hydrogen network, we are supporting Britain’s ambitions to decarbonise industry and unlock future low-carbon growth opportunities, while helping to deliver long-term economic benefits for communities and businesses along the route.”
Nigel Holmes, chief executive of Hydrogen Scotland, said the pipeline could support the production of clean fuels, ammonia and sustainable aviation fuel at Grangemouth using low-carbon hydrogen.
He added: “This UK hydrogen backbone will also reduce renewables curtailment and enable access to large scale underground hydrogen storage sites for the long duration responsive power generation which is essential for UK energy security.”