Humber Freeport approval key to Yorkshire's green industry future - Andrew Reynolds

In the race to net zero, economies around the world are offering ever more competitive packages to attract green inward investment, ensuring they can capture the economic benefits from being first movers.

As I set out in the Yorkshire Post almost exactly a year ago, the Humber has the potential to be one of these first movers, which can transform the area from the most carbon intensive region in the UK to a global green technology hub.

The freeport decision is a critical step to making this a reality. Alongside the freeport incentive package, the Humber is home to the UK’s busiest port complex, one of the UK’s first carbon capture and storage clusters, and the world’s largest offshore wind farm – Dogger Bank. In the last year multiple green projects in the region have progressed, from Equinor’s H2H Saltend – set to be the UK’s first large-sale hydrogen project, to SSE and Equinor’s Keadby Three carbon capture project – again a first of its kind in the UK, to our very own Yorkshire Energy Park, which has had several planning applications approved, including for an on-site energy centre. Added to this, announced in the Chancellor’s Spring Budget, were more positives for the region with a new Levelling Up

Partnership in Hull and the offer of Investment Zones in Yorkshire.

In a recent report, the much respected Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit identified the Humber as one of the UK’s “net zero economic hotspots” with £507 million pumped into the local economy each year and almost 6,000 green jobs already here. The Humber, they say, is “significantly more productive” in terms of the net zero economy than London and the South-East. This is levelling-up and net zero in action – jobs, investment and opportunity.

Thankfully there is a lot more to come in 2023.The Government’s first dedicated energy legislation for a decade – the Energy Security Bill – will provide economic support for hydrogen production and carbon capture technology, with the Humber and the projects mentioned above directly benefiting from this. A new dedicated Energy Security and Net Zero government department has also recently been established, and they have just published a new Net Zero Strategy and a new Energy Security Plan, with a view to making further announcements to ensure the UK is competitive the world over for future green technologies.

But we cannot stand still. Political and business leaders in the region need to work together to champion the Humber as the premier net zero destination in the UK, capitalising on the momentum generated by the freeport announcement, and respond to the disappointing news last month that no Humber-based carbon capture and storage projects were being prioritised in the Government’s first funding round.

If we play our cards right, the Humber can serve as a blueprint for the rest of the world as a place that has successfully transitioned from a global carbon hub to a global carbon free hub.

Andrew Reynolds is project director of Yorkshire Energy Park.