We’re been granted planning permission from Bradford Council to deliver one of the UK’s largest, state-of-the-art hydrogen production facilities.

The development will be located on the old Birkshall gas storage site on Bowling Back Lane in Bradford. Once complete, the scheme will produce low carbon hydrogen which can be used to decarbonise vehicles and industry.

We’re working in partnership with Hygen to deliver the hydrogen production facility, with the aim of producing enough hydrogen to remove 800 diesel-fuelled buses a day from our roads.

The Bradford Hydrogen production facility is the biggest scheme to be awarded funding through the government’s Hydrogen Production Business Model, with the plant having the capacity to produce around 24.5 MW of hydrogen (12.5 tonnes per day). The hydrogen will be produced through a process known as electrolysis, using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Businesses and other users in West Yorkshire will be able to use the refuelling facilities on site, with distribution experts Ryze delivering hydrogen to industrial users across the region.

Jamie Burns, Director at Hygen, said: “The granting of planning permission is a significant step in the development of a facility which will provide enormous benefits to the people of Bradford and the surrounding area.

“Along with our partners, we have worked tirelessly to develop these plans, which will provide a blueprint for how complex projects like this can be delivered, boosting the hydrogen and green economies of the UK.”

Hydrogen is a multi-purpose fuel which can be used as a replacement for natural gas in heating and industrial processes, and for replacing diesel in heavy goods vehicles including buses, trains and lorries. The use of hydrogen is being supported and funded by the government as it produces no carbon when burned, meaning it can help with the challenge of tackling climate change.

N-Gen Managing Director, Gareth Mills said: “We are extremely proud to be bringing a flagship hydrogen production facility and significant investment to Bradford. The site was once home to gas holders, which stored natural gas used by the residents and businesses in Bradford, so it is fitting that the site will continue its heritage and now be used for the production and storage of hydrogen, a cleaner fuel. We expect the facility to be a valuable addition to the Bradford economy, providing a viable way for local businesses to decarbonise, as well as attracting new companies and jobs to the area, by placing the city at the forefront of the transition to clean energy.”