Johnson Matthey plc (JM) and bp plc (both London) have signed a licensing and engineering agreement for Johnson Matthey’s LCH technology at bp’s proposed flagship low carbon (blue) hydrogen facility in Teesside, H2Teesside.
Industry in the Tees Valley accounts for 64% of total local CO₂ emissions, compared to 24% nationally1. H2Teesside would help power and decarbonise local industry here, as well as new businesses attracted to this low carbon hydrogen produced at scale.
Due to its proximity to domestically sourced North Sea natural gas, established pipe corridors, and planned carbon capture transportation and storage infrastructure that is being developed by the bp-led Northern Endurance Partnership, the area is uniquely placed for H2Teesside to help lead a low carbon transformation, supporting jobs, regeneration, and the revitalisation of the surrounding area.
H2Teesside will use JM’s innovative LCH technology, which couples a gas-heated reformer with an autothermal reformer (GHR-ATR). LCH offers the lowest natural gas usage commercially available today and can capture up to 99% of carbon dioxide produced. This means for H2Teesside it would deliver the lowest levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) and the most carbon efficient technology available today for low carbon (blue) hydrogen production.
H2Teesside, alongside NZT Power and BOC Teesside Hydrogen, was selected by the UK Government as Track-1 Capture Projects to proceed to negotiations for government funding from the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ), for the East Coast Cluster as part of Phase 2 of the cluster sequencing process for CCUS.
Alberto Giovanzana, Managing Director – CT Licensing at Johnson Matthey, said: “bp’s H2Teesside project will be at the forefront of the UK’s efforts to decarbonise, and we’re proud JM’s innovative LCH technology will be at the heart of it. We championed the use of low carbon (blue) hydrogen as a part of our efforts to achieve net zero emissions and have proven ourselves as a trusted partner with this licence representing our fifth major LCH project globally.”
Will Harrison-Cripps, H2Teesside Asset Development Lead at bp, said: “H2Teesside, which aims to be one of the first low carbon hydrogen production facilities in the UK, is a key part of our plans to help Teesside transform into the UK’s leading hydrogen hub, providing a diverse range of customers with low carbon hydrogen produced at scale. We are pleased to be working with Johnson Matthey, using their innovative technology to accelerate the pace of hydrogen deployment as we work towards commercial operations in 2028 and supporting the East Coast Cluster decarbonise a range of industries in Teesside.”