Teesside's £14m green energy centre will be open in 18 months

Government Transport Minister Rachel Maclean visited Middlesbrough today, September 30, with Mr Houchen on the announcement that the UK’s first Hydrogen Transport Centre would be built in the region – and they both took a spin in a hydrogen car.

Combined with renewable electricity, hydrogen can be produced, stored and used to generate heat and electricity without producing any greenhouse gases or air pollutants – just water.

• Teesside to be clean energy leader and home of UK's first hydrogen transport centre
• Net Zero Teesside to get share of £350m Government fund

Mr Houchen and the minister toured the site to learn more about the work done at TWI, which will later partner with the hydrogen centre, and discussed plans for the green transport hub.

They also discussed Mr Houchen's other clean energy projects, including Net Zero Teesside and the UK’s first successful trial of e-scooters.

The £14 million Hydrogen Transport Centre, which will take just 18 months to get up and running, could add up to £7billion to the region’s economy from now until 2050, creating thousands of jobs.

Mr Houchen, who confirmed Tees Valley will benefit from the technology first, said: "Doors open in 18 months but work has already started. We are looking at how we build hydrogen trains and busses on the Tees Valley network and deliver them in an economically sustainable way."

The Mayor worked for two-and-a-half-years to bring the centre to Teesside, which already has a "ready made" supply of hydrogen as well as relevant engineers, research scientists and technicians.

Mr Houchen said: "As ever, we prioritise local workforces as much as we can. Teesside is at the forefront of chemical and possessing technology, so that makes it easier to make sure local people get these jobs."

Mr Houchen added there will "absolutely" be new training opportunities to get those out of work or who may have lost their job due to the pandemic into the sector.

He said: "This is not just about saying aren't we great at a technology, it's about giving local people a future, to be able to have more money in their pockets to look after themselves and their families."

Plans fit into the Government's levelling up agenda and climate change goals whereby the UK aims to be net zero by 2050 – making the North-East fundamental in achieving this.

Ms Maclean says Teesside, which already produces over half of the UK's hydrogen, is the right place for the first-of-its-kind centre.

She said: “As we continue to build on our green print for the future post-Covid-19, we know that to really harness the power of transport to improve our country – and to set a global gold standard – we must truly embed change.

"Teesside makes sense because it already has the infrastructure, skills, industrial expertise, and geographic criteria with both an airport and a port."

Ms Maclean added she enjoyed her visit to the North-East, where she has seen innovation and a "can-do attitude".

The world’s biggest hydrogen refuelling station will also be in Teesside, with the Government waiting on planning permissions.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: "By unlocking huge economic potential and creating thousands of jobs for local people, hydrogen will play a pivotal role in spearheading a green recovery across the North.

"This centre will add further to the growing hydrogen ecosystem in the Tees Valley and represents a key milestone towards reaching Net Zero North, led by N8 and ourselves to get us ready for the wider hydrogen transition.

"It is projects such as these - that demonstrates the North's internationally competitive capabilities - which will prove transformative in levelling-up research and development investment in the UK."

Ms Maclean added that she, and the Government, is committed to decarbonising transport and already incentivises transport providers to go green.

Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough, said: "I very much welcome the announcement about the Hydrogen centre. I am wholly supportive of the development and deployment of hydrogen in our transport system.

“I am also pleased that the Teesside proposal has gained Government support as it is the ideal location given our existing hydrogen expertise to develop hydrogen fuelled transport.

"Hydrogen can play a huge part in reducing carbon emissions from transport, which is the largest carbon emitting sector of our economy. Measures to bring about reductions are extremely welcome."

Jacob Young, Conservative MP for Redcar and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hydrogen, said: “All along we have said that new hydrogen technologies represent a major leading role in the UK's cleaner, greener future and that Teesside should be front and centre of this exciting emerging sector.

"It's great to be part of a united Conservative front pushing for success for the whole of Teesside - and as Chair of the Hydrogen All Party Parliamentary Group, I’m grateful to the Government for its progress on this.

"This is a huge investment for Teesside which will bring hundreds of jobs to our area, boost skills, expand our economy and thrust us to the very forefront when it comes to developing the technology of tomorrow."

Teesport itself has attracted over £1 billion of new investment to the region in the last decade. Owners and operators PD Ports, which is committed to supporting the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda for the North, says this announcement places the Tees Valley at the forefront of the battle against climate change.

Chief executive Frans Calje said: “As home to many world-leading manufacturers, the River Tees is already the base for many businesses and enterprises delivering innovative renewable energy technology. We are in a prime position to lead the charge against climate change and help achieve the Government’s target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

“PD Ports is delighted that our region will be at the forefront of this ongoing battle against climate change, and we will continue working with our partners along the River Tees to deliver investments that will further strengthen the global competitiveness of the Tees Valley.”