BP is working on a huge ‘blue hydrogen’ facility in the UK

BP is working on a huge ‘blue hydrogen’ facility in the UK

BP said Thursday it was working on plans for a major facility which could generate as much as 1 gigawatt of "blue hydrogen" by 2030.  

So-called blue hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced using natural gas, with the CO2 emissions generated during the process captured and stored.

The proposed development, described by BP as the United Kingdom's "largest hydrogen project," would be based in Teesside, north-east England.

According to the oil and gas giant, the H2Teesside development would be able to "capture and send for storage" as much as two million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year. The U.K. government wants to have 5 GW of low-carbon hydrogen capacity by 2030.

Described by the International Energy Agency as a "versatile energy carrier," hydrogen has a diverse range of applications. BP said the hydrogen produced by H2Teesside could, among other things, provide energy to residential homes and industry or "be used as a fuel for heavy transport."

A final investment decision on the development will be taken in 2024. If all goes to plan, 500 megawatts of capacity could be in production by 2027 or earlier, BP said. Capacity refers to the maximum amount a facility can produce.

"Blue hydrogen, integrated with carbon capture and storage, can