Hydrogen Supply Chain Solutions and CO2 Emission Metrics for Tees Valley Region

The UK has a strong ambition of up to 10 GW of hydrogen production, including 6 GW of
electrolytic hydrogen by 2030 and 27 GW of potential hydrogen projects by 2037. The Tees
Valley Region is a thriving hub of clean industry with ongoing decarbonization efforts, with
several significant projects underway.

However, the supply chain of hydrogen has additional vectors, including primary energy source type, transmission of hydrogen, its storage and end users, which need parallel development and deployment. In order to utilise the inherent potential of the hydrogen economy, the integrated hydrogen supply chain model in the Tees Valley region needs to be understood. The fundamental research question to be addressed is “What amount of CO2 emissions is released for different hydrogen pathways?” and “How these emissions can be reduced for multiple feasible hydrogen pathways of the supply chain in
The Tees Valley region?”

Therefore, the aim of this project is to explore the different vectors of the hydrogen supply chain and analyse potential options from the perspectives of CO2 emissions and energy.

The objectives of the project are to
:
1. Define the boundary conditions for the supply chain of hydrogen for the Tees Valley
region. Boundary conditions will be identified for the hydrogen production, its
management and storage. The feasible pathways will be considered to specify the
system boundary, scope and model.

2. Based on the possible energy sources, hydrogen production methods, transmission
options, and storage means will be selected to devise a mechanism for quantification
of the CO2 emissions to identify which of the pathways will be most likely to align
with the net zero targets.

3. The emission and energy matrix will be evaluated for the multiple scenarios
including the transition to renewable source hydrogen production, full or partial
implementation of the agreed plans/policy scenarios and for different time periods
of 2030, 2040 and 2050.

4. Techno-economic evaluation will be performed for the feasible hydrogen pathways
to assess market benefit.

Project funded via £4.8m REHIP programme funded by Research England Development (RED) fund.