UKOGA forecasts hydrogen future for Bacton hub

The Bacton hub could provide low carbon energy for London and south-east England for decades to come and help in the drive to net zero greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study commissioned by the UK Oil and Gas Authority (UKOGA).

The study suggests that a combination of natural gas to make blue hydrogen, wind to produce green hydrogen, ample space offshore for carbon storage, and easy access to markets mean hydrogen from Bacton could help decarbonise as much as 20% of the UK population.

Blue hydrogen is produced using natural gas and the report estimates that if this natural gas were used for hydrogen production there could be sufficient reserves in the area to last until the 2040s, with the produced carbon captured and stored offshore from Bacton.

Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy and electrolysis to split water. There are plans for about 15 GW of wind capacity in the area which, if totally committed to green hydrogen production, could meet around half of the total estimated south-eastern UK demand by 2050.

Green hydrogen is currently more expensive to produce than blue, but the report expects that as technology matures it will become cost-competitive during the 2040s.

Bacton wind farms, meanwhile, could produce nearly 40% of the UK government’s 40 GW by 2030 target.

The gas fields of the Southern North Sea and the Bacton gas terminal, in Norfolk, have been part of the UK’s energy infrastructure for more than 50 years; with offshore wind being part of the mix since 2004.

Source: Oil & Gas Journal