Mersey Dee Alliance and HyNet develop the UK’s first cross-border hub

The Mersey Dee Alliance, a partnership which supports strategic economic growth across Flintshire, Wrexham, Cheshire West and Wirral, and HyNet, a UK-leading industrial decarbonisation cluster, will work together more closely to bring cross-border support to the region’s decarbonisation plans.

HyNet will unlock a low carbon future for the North Wales and North West England, creating routes for industry to rapidly decarbonise their production. Transport, such as trains and lorries, will use clean fuel and homes will blend hydrogen in to their gas supply to heat their homes with a low carbon fuel, without the need for new appliances. HyNet will have the capacity to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by around 10 million tonnes of carbon per year by 2030, equivalent to taking 4 million cars off the road. Working together in partnership will unlock opportunities for private and public sectors across North Wales, including partners across the Deeside and Wrexham Industrial areas, to create a hydrogen economy, directly generating new jobs and growth opportunities for the cross-border region, increasing skills, employment and inclusive growth.

James Davies MP, Chair of the Mersey Dee North Wales APPG said: “The HyNet North West project plays an important role in achieving the Government’s ambitious net zero goals. Working with the Mersey Dee Alliance will further support this and help progress the project to the benefit of North Wales, West Cheshire and the Wirral. Cross border partnership working is key to strengthening the Union and supporting the Levelling Up agenda.”

Cllr Mark Pritchard, Chair of the Mersey Dee Alliance and Leader of Wrexham Council said: “North East Wales, Cheshire West and the Wirral are pivotal to the success of the UK, with population close to 1 million. As an industrial heartland at a time in which carbon taxes could put existing jobs at risk, HyNet is an integral part of the region’s future economy. The low carbon cluster will secure a sustainable future for vital industry and supporting them to remain viable for the future by reducing, and eventually halting, carbon emissions - safeguard employment. “Supporting this region’s key business sectors will enhance the area’s competitiveness, maintaining its reputation as an attractive place for industry to operate, invest and thrive in addition to developing a hydrogen economy/supply chain.”.

David Parkin, HyNet Project Director said: “HyNet is an opportunity for North Wales which we must grasp with both hands. Working with the Mersey Dee Alliance, we can accelerate investment in industrial decarbonisation and make the crossborder region a leading exemplar of decarbonised industrial production through the use of hydrogen and CCUS. It is extremely important to us that what we achieve with HyNet is replicable across the UK, and the rest of the world to drive forward wide scale industrial decarbonisation.”

About HyNet H

yNet North West is a low carbon energy project at the forefront of the UK’s journey to a Net Zero future, being developed by a consortium of world-leading organisations. From 2025, HyNet North West will produce, store and distribute hydrogen as well as capturing and storing carbon. It will decarbonise the North West of England and North Wales through the creation of state of-the-art infrastructure. This game-changing project has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 10 million tonnes every year by 2030 – the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road. HyNet North West will create and maintain thousands of local jobs, as well as enable long-term sustainability for businesses and financial security for communities across the region.

The HyNet North West consortium includes Progressive Energy, Cadent, Essar, Inovyn, Eni, University of Chester, CF Fertilisers and Hanson.