August 2022 – Wind & Hydrogen

The world’s new largest wind farm and plans announced to host the first large scale green hydrogen production facility in the UK are the two biggest headlines for August in what was a busy month for the region.

Hornsea 2 is a 1.3GW project comprised of 165 wind turbines capable of powering 1.4 million homes. Combined with sister project Hornsea 1 they can power a staggering 2.5 million homes.

Elsewhere on the South Humber bank, hundreds of millions of pounds of investment and 1400 jobs are eyed as proposals from Associated British Ports were announced.

Creating a Motorway Service Station for Wildlife

On the shores of the Humber Estuary in North East Lincolnshire, a new haven for wildlife is starting to appear.

The Humber Estuary is a huge often forgotten about but diverse habitat. From the beaches and sand dunes, to the saltmarsh, mudflats and lagoons, the area is home to a wide variety of wildlife.

“Novartis Ings” site is the second significant wildlife haven being built in North East Lincolnshire primarily for waders. The first, the nearby Cress Marsh site.

As a condition of developments in certain parts of North East Lincolnshire, mitigation land must be set aside especially for roosting waders. These birds require wide open undisturbed sites ideally with a mosaic of shallow water with spits and island where they can roost safely at high tide. North East Lincolnshire Council has taken this innovative approach of building the “mitigation” sites before they are actually needed to assist future industrial developments in the region.

£8M Levelling up boost for Grimsby to repair vital bridges and boost local industry

Vital bridges connecting Grimsby and Immingham will be repaired to boost the local key industries and tourism, prevent road closures and secure future jobs for the region, Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark announced on Thursday 11 August.

The funding will prevent months of disruption and closures for residents, as well as making sure local industries can continue to grow and helping to create more skilled jobs in the area.

Secretary of State for Levelling up Greg Clark said: “The work to level up vital towns like Grimsby requires acting on what local people say is important and acting on what local people want – including local infrastructure. “The funding we are announcing today will provide a vital lifeline for Grimsby’s industry now and in the future and I am looking forward to seeing how our investment is helping local communities to flourish and further unlock the area’s potential.”

Wind farm industry expansion plotted for Port of Grimsby East

Further expansion for offshore wind development is being planned at Port of Grimsby East.

As reported on Business Live, Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprises, operator of the fish market and surrounds, has agreed a deal with wider operator Associated British Ports to develop the central area, building on the shipyard, GRO Centre and further accommodation allocated to the industry.

Martyn Boyers, chief executive, said: “We have just done a deal with ABP on the West Quay. We are optimistic about the wind farm developments, we’re confident there is still a lot more to come.

“Wind farm investment will continue, whether there is an economic downturn or not, and energy is highly topical, with a real focus on the importance of producing our own.”

Hornsea 2, the world’s largest windfarm, enters full operation

On the final day of August, Ørsted announced that the world’s largest installed windfarm, Hornsea 2, is now fully operational.

The 1.3GW project comprises 165 wind turbines, which will help power over 1.4 million UK homes with low-cost, clean and secure renewable energy. It is situated alongside its sister project Hornsea 1, which together can power 2.5 million homes and make a significant contribution to the UK Government’s ambition of having 50 GW offshore wind in operation by 2030. 

The Hornsea Zone, an area of the North Sea covering more than 2,000 sq km, is also set to include Hornsea 3. The 2.8GW project is planned to follow Hornsea 2 having been awarded a contract for difference from the UK government earlier this year.

Huge green hydrogen proposal unveiled for Port of Immingham

Port of Immingham looks set to host the first large scale green hydrogen production facility in the UK.

ABP and Air Products have announced their intention to partner on the huge project, that would see hundreds of millions of pounds invested, while supporting 1,400 jobs. The plan is for green ammonia to be imported as a feedstock from locations operated around the world by the US giant, decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as transport and industry – subject to policy and market conditions.

As reported on Business Live, Henrik Pedersen, ABP’s chief executive, said: “ABP and the Humber are at the epicentre of the decarbonisation agenda and we are delighted to work with Air Products on this project, which will help deliver the UK’s legal obligation to be net zero by 2050.

“ABP’s ports are a vital part of the UK’s energy transition, and we are making significant investments to support a range of renewable energy generation projects.”