Uniper and Shell UK Limited (Shell) are progressing their Humber H2ub project, which aims to produce low-carbon hydrogen using gas reformation with carbon capture technology at Uniper’s Killingholme power station site on the South Humber bank, according to the company's release.
Air Liquide Engineering & Construction, Shell Catalysts & Technologies and Technip Energies have been awarded contracts to deliver the process design studies. This is to include design of the main hydrogen production and carbon capture plant for the proposed Humber H2ub project.
The three companies will participate in a competition to engineer the technology and plant design needed for the project to move to the front end engineering and design (FEED) phase, ahead of a final investment decision expected to be taken in the mid-2020s. The selected company at the end of the design competition will become the Humber H2ub project’s preferred low-carbon hydrogen production technology provider during FEED, engineering, procurement and construction and into the operation of the plant.
The Humber H2ub project includes plans for a low-carbon hydrogen production facility using gas reformation technology with carbon capture and storage (CCS), with a capacity of up to 720 megawatts. The hydrogen produced could be used to decarbonise industry, transport and power throughout the Humber region.
CCS-enabled hydrogen production at Killingholme could see the capture of around 1.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) of carbon a year from the production process. The UK Government has set a target to capture and store 20-30 Mt of carbon a year by 2030.
The Humber H2ub project forms part of Uniper’s Energy Transformation Hub Killingholme, which will bring together our overall plans for shaping low carbon energy development at the site.
Uniper and Shell chose Air Liquide Engineering & Construction, Shell Catalysts & Technologies and Technip Energies following a formal selection process. This involved sending a request for information in 2021 to a long list of technology companies. Based on this, Uniper and Shell submitted request for proposal documents which asked seven contractors to propose solutions for a final bid. Bidders had to submit costs, preliminary designs and bid concepts for the project team who were then able to select the contractors to carry out the full process design for the design competition.
Blue hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced by the reformation of natural gas. The carbon dioxide produced as a result of this process is captured and stored using CCS technology.
The project will be focusing on potential industrial uses of the hydrogen but, to give a sense of scale, production of 720 megawatts would be enough low-carbon hydrogen to heat more than half a million homes a year.
Uniper is also a partner in the Zero Carbon Humber project to develop the necessary carbon dioxide pipeline transport for blue hydrogen production. As part of the East Coast Cluster, the captured carbon dioxide will be stored permanently offshore in the Northern Endurance Partnership’s facility in the UK’s North Sea.
Uniper continues to develop a separate green hydrogen project, using electrolytic hydrogen production technology, as part of the overall Energy Transformation Hub development at Uniper’s Killingholme site.
The energy transition cannot be managed by one company alone. That is why we are creating technology and exchange platforms - our Energy Transformation Hubs. At these hubs, we work closely with partners from business, industry and politics to reduce CO2 emissions, secure the energy supply for the future and drive forward sector coupling.
Düsseldorf-based Uniper is an international energy company with activities in more than 40 countries. With around 7,000 employees, it makes an important contribution to security of supply in Europe. Uniper’s core businesses are power generation in Europe, global energy trading, and a broad gas portfolio.
Uniper procures gas – including liquefied natural gas (LNG) – and other energy sources on global markets. The company owns and operates gas storage facilities with a capacity of more than 7 billion cubic meters. Uniper plans for its 22.5 GW of installed power-generating capacity in Europe to be carbon-neutral by 2035.
In the UK, Uniper owns and operates a flexible generation portfolio of seven power stations, a fast-cycle gas storage facility and two high pressure gas pipelines, from Theddlethorpe to Killingholme and from Blyborough to Cottam.