SSE Thermal and Equinor have secured planning permission for their Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder project in East Yorkshire. The site will become one of the UK’s first integrated green hydrogen-to-power facilities.
The project will install a 35MW electrolyser to produce hydrogen using renewable electricity. The hydrogen will be stored in a repurposed salt cavern at the existing Aldbrough Gas Storage site and used to generate electricity through a 100% hydrogen-fired open-cycle gas turbine. The facility will deliver flexible, zero-carbon power to the UK grid by 2029.
The project is under review in the UK government’s Hydrogen Allocation Round 2 (HAR2), competing for 15-year revenue support contracts under the Hydrogen Production Business Model. Final funding decisions are expected by Q3 2025.
The Aldbrough facility combines production, storage, and generation in a single location and is positioned as a potential model for future hydrogen infrastructure in the UK. It aligns with broader efforts to scale clean energy capacity and attract regional investment.
