Barrow Green Hydrogen could supply enough power for thousands of homes. Credit: via Taylor Keogh Communications

Hydrogen power plant plotted for Cumbria

Carlton Power is pursuing plans to build a 35MW commercial hydrogen hub in Barrow-in-Furness, with ambitions to have the facility operational by 2025.

To bring the hydrogen power plant to life, Carlton has formed a partnership with Cumbria Local Enterprise, Barrow-in-Furness Council Cadent and Electricity North West.

Eric Adams, Hydrogen Projects Director at Carlton Power, said: “We’re delighted to be working with key regional partners to bring forward this green hydrogen facility, which will help Cumbria’s decarbonisation efforts…

“It is critical that projects such as this are brought forward to support investment by local companies in their infrastructure that will enable a reduction in the carbon emissions associated with their operations.”

Together, the Barrow Green Hydrogen group is seeking funding from the government’s £240m Hydrogen Investment Package. Financial support from Whitehall will be crucial to the building of the power plant, Carlton said.

As it stands, Carlton projects that £40m will be needed to acquire the electrolyser that helps harness hydrogen’s power potential, as well as storage for that energy. That figure does not include the required infrastructure that will be necessary for the power plant.

Carlton and its partners are crafting a planning application for the project, with aims to submit it for approval by the end of this year. Stockport-based Fichtner is the consulting engineer for the scheme.

In the meantime, the Barrow Green Hydrogen project team is looking to sign agreements with industrial users who want to pursue a cleaner energy solution.

Each member of the Barrow Green Hydrogen consortium is playing an important role in the project, with Barrow-in-Furness Council and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership helping to maximise the economic and environmental benefits of the project. Electricity North West is advising on existing power networks and Cadent is supplying its expertise in gas distribution.

Barrow Green Hydrogen is not the first project for Carlton in the North West. The power developer is also leading on Trafford Green Hydrogen, which could eventually supply the Trafford community 200MW of renewable energy.

Carlton is working with Cadent, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Manchester Metropolitan University, Electricity North West and Trafford Council on that scheme.

Your Comments

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Interesting project, where is the green electricity supply coming from? Is this directly connected to its own solar/wind farm?

By Anon

I am an ex PX employee in Projects and Management of Change. This project sounds fantastic. Well done to all involved.

By Bill Richards, Millom, Cumbria.

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