SSE Thermal and Equinor award key contracts for Aldbrough hydrogen project
SSE Thermal and Equinor have awarded two key contracts for work on the proposed hydrogen storage facility at Aldbrough.
Engineering company Atkins and sustainability consultancy Environmental Resources Management (ERM) have been awarded major contracts, representing an important milestone and progress in the proposed development of one of the world’s largest hydrogen storage facilities.
The Aldbrough Hydrogen Storage project is a collaboration between SSE Thermal and Equinor which plans to store low carbon hydrogen either within the existing natural gas storage facility or at a new hydrogen storage site adjacent to the Aldbrough Gas Storage facility in East Yorkshire.
This could be in operation by early 2028, with an initial expected capacity of at least 320 Gigawatt hours (GWh), which is enough to power over 860 hydrogen buses a year. Aldbrough Hydrogen Storage would be a critical asset to helping the UK meet its low carbon hydrogen ambitions.
Atkins has been awarded the contract to conduct a feasibility study to assess the design of the hydrogen storage caverns at Aldbrough as well as the corresponding pipeline to transport hydrogen to and from the proposed new Humber Low Carbon Pipelines (HLPC) being developed as part of the Zero Carbon Humber consortium.
The outcome of the assessment will provide the foundation for the next phase of scoping work as the project matures. The contract also includes the option for subsequent pre-FEED (front end engineering design) work.
ERM’s contract covers the environmental, health, safety and permitting aspects of the scheme, which are vital to developing Equinor’s future ‘Hydrogen to Humber’ (H2H) ambitions and enabling flexibility in the regional hydrogen production, usage and storage value chain.
Hydrogen storage will be pivotal in creating a large-scale hydrogen economy in the UK allowing cost effective balancing of hydrogen production and supply. Hydrogen storage will support fuel switching in many sectors including flexible power generation alongside intermittent renewables, industrial use and heat. It will also support optimal production of both blue and green hydrogen production as the hydrogen economy grows, providing back-up where large proportions of energy are produced from renewable power.
The contract awards demonstrate the importance of the Humber region in the future hydrogen economy. Equinor, which operate hydrogen, carbon capture and renewables projects across Europe, have an ambition to reach 1.8GW of hydrogen production in the Humber, over a third of the Government’s UK-wide target by 2030. It recently announced plans to assess hydrogen town trials in Northern Lincolnshire, and its partnership with SSE Thermal in the Humber includes both Aldbrough Hydrogen Storage and the world’s first 100% hydrogen power station at Keadby.
Equinor’s flagship H2H Saltend project, which will produce low carbon hydrogen to help decarbonise and fuel switch the Saltend Chemicals Park, currently one of the region’s most carbon intensive sites, is the kick-starter project for a wider hydrogen economy in Humber. The H2H Saltend scheme will be submitted to the second phase of the Government’s ‘Cluster Sequencing Process’ later this month.
Oonagh O’Grady, head of hydrogen development at SSE Thermal, said: “We know hydrogen storage will be crucial in creating a large-scale hydrogen economy in the UK, balancing production and demand and accelerating the transition to net zero. The contracts awarded to Atkins and ERM represent an important milestone in our plans for hydrogen storage at Aldbrough, which would play a major role in building a low-carbon future in the Humber.”
Dan Sadler, vice president of UK low carbon solutions at Equinor, said: “Equinor has ambitious plans to develop a hydrogen economy in the Humber, including production, usage and storage, which will make it an international beacon for low carbon energy. We are delighted to award contracts to two leading British companies that bring real expertise in their field and can help to make this ambition a reality.”
Happy Days Nursery in Wakefield sold to LSG
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of Happy Days Nursery in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
Happy Days Nursery is a leasehold nursery operating from a large, converted setting in Wakefield. Running for 25 years, the setting has established an excellent reputation in the local area for providing day care as well as a successful before and after school provision for children aged 0-11 years.
Previously family-owned, the nursery was brought to market as a retirement sale.
The business has been purchased by The Little Sports Group (LSG) the parent company for an established primary education business, LSC. Founded in 2006, LSC provides permanent subject specialist staff for primary schools across the UK. Supporting subjects such as PE, Music, Drama, Spanish and more, as well as offering out-of-school childcare through high-quality breakfast, after-school and holiday clubs.
Having now established its footing in early years, Happy Days is LSG’s latest acquisition, taking the group to a total of seven settings across the Midlands and North of England, providing over 400 childcare places.
Previous owner, Soheir Ishak, comments, “Having made the decision to retire and spend some quality time with my grandchildren and family, I wanted to pass the baton on to a passionate team, who I know will continue ensuring that the children at our setting have the best possible care. I was keen to find someone with similar values to take over our family business which I started with my husband and nurtured for 25 years. I know that Craig, Rebecca and the team at LSG will do a fantastic job of caring for the children and developing the business further to enhance all that is already in place.”
Craig Brennan, Chief Executive of LSG, comments, “Having operated and built successful businesses within the early years, primary education and out-of-school childcare sectors over the last 15 years, we knew moving in to ‘full day care’ would be the next natural step for us. We have been very focused on building the nursery business over the last six months and are extremely proud of the progress we have made to date. We have already completed on a number of acquisitions and put a fantastic senior management team in place. Happy Days ticked all the boxes for us, ‘great people, great spaces, great community’ and so we are hugely excited to welcome Amy (the manager) and the rest of the team to the group. We have plans to update the setting both internally and externally and make great use of the fantastic outdoor space we have there.”
Vicky Marsland, Senior Business Agent at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, comments, “It’s been a pleasure working with both parties, and I’m very pleased to have facilitated the sale, allowing our clients to take a well-deserved retirement after over 20 years in the sector. Having originally spoken with LSG when they were considering their expansion into early years, it’s satisfying to see them grow and I certainly look forward to working with them again in the future.
“Buyer demand is stronger than ever in the sector and, as more and more businesses bounce back to pre-COVID levels, we are seeing many operators resume their exit strategies after holding off on decision making over the past year.”
Employee benefits provider Aceso boosts Leeds-based national team with two key hires
Leeds-based employee benefits firm Aceso Health and Group Risk has made two senior appointments to its growing national team.
Part of the Attis Insurance group, launched last year by Joe Henderson who sold his Leeds-based Henderson Insurance business to US firm Aon in 2017, Aceso provides benefits packages covering employee health and wellbeing and group risk. Headquartered in Leeds, the firm has five regional offices located across the North of England and the Midlands.
With 25 years’ experience in financial services, Paul Collin joins the firm as director of group risk, while Matt Howarth, a specialist in private medical insurance and wellbeing, comes on board as account executive with responsibility for business development.
In his new role, Paul, who worked for Henderson for over a decade, is reunited with Aceso directors and former Henderson colleagues, Mike Picken and Louise Pratt. Beginning his financial services career at CGU, Paul worked for IFAs and insurance brokers at local, regional and national levels before specialising in group risk in 2015.
Matt has over a decade’s experience in the insurance industry and is also a former colleague of Louise.
Paul said: “Employee benefits are often misunderstood and poorly managed because they are constantly evolving. Especially in the post Covid world, where recruiting and retaining the best people is more challenging than ever, their importance to both employees and employers is becoming increasingly evident, with industry statistics showing benefits packages can now be even more desirable to employees than flexible working options.
“The best advice and support is more critical than ever for business owners, their people managers and ultimately their employees. That’s where Aceso can help and I’m really pleased to be joining the team.”
Aceso executive director Mike Picken said: “We know Paul and Matt already share our strong ethos of customer care and we’re thrilled to welcome them to the firm.
“Health insurance is unlike insuring a car or a property because it’s extremely personal. At Aceso we’re committed to providing the very best service and advice to customers, and ensuring they can always pick up the phone and speak to a qualified and experienced member of our team.”
East Riding of Yorkshire Council launches Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme to help businesses
East Riding of Yorkshire Council has launched a new grant scheme to help East Yorkshire businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors that have been most impacted by the Omicron variant.
The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme will support hospitality, leisure and accommodation business premises with one-off grants of up to £6,000.
Eligible businesses must occupy a property which is registered for business rates and have been trading on 30 December 2021.
The Government has asked councils to obtain information and evidence from businesses as part of the grant scheme. Businesses must use the online application process on the council’s website to apply for the grant, which will ensure that eligible businesses submit the correct information and can receive the grant.
All applications will be subject to a number of fraud checks which the Government requires councils to undertake ahead of payments being processed.
Councillor Jane Evison, portfolio holder for economic growth and tourism, said: “The council recognises how important the payment of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant is for individual businesses. We are now encouraging businesses to visit our website to check whether they are eligible for this payment.”
Types of businesses that are eligible to apply for this grant include public houses, restaurants, cafes, wedding and events venues, tourist attractions, hotels, B&Bs and many more.
Harrogate solicitor becomes Premier League Chair
arrogate solicitor Peter McCormick OBE has become interim Chair of the Premier League for the second time, making him the only person to ever be Chair of both the Premier League and the FA.
His appointment will take effect when current Chair Gary Hoffman steps down on 1 February and comes just after he ended his term as interim Chair of the FA earlier this month.
Premier League Clubs have unanimously approved his temporary appointment while the recruitment process for a permanent Chair continues.
Peter, Senior Partner of McCormicks Solicitors, will remain as Chair of the Premier League’s Football Board and Legal Advisory Groups, both Executive positions, and previously acted as the League’s interim Chair between March 2014 and June 2015.
He said: “I am delighted to receive the confidence and approval of the 20 Premier League Clubs and the Board as they work to recruit the new Chair.”
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “On behalf of the Premier League and Clubs, I would like to welcome Peter to this role. He is well known to us all and a trusted pair of hands who will see us through this transition period. The Board’s aim is to have a new permanent Chair in place before the start of next season.”
Peter holds a number of positions in football, including Chair of the Premier League Medical Care Scheme Ltd; Premier League representative on the FA Board; Vice Chair of the FA, representing the Professional Game; Chair of the FA Group Remuneration Committee; Chair of the FA Professional Game Board; and Chair of the FA Panel of Ambassadors (International Committee). He is Chair Designate of the Football Regulatory Authority; a member of the FA Council Membership and Appointments Committee; Chairman of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund Ltd; and a Trustee of the Football Foundation.
He is also Chair of the War Memorials Trust and of the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation.
Opportunity to purchase Weaverthorpe village pub with letting rooms
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has brought to market The Star Inn, an attractive, family friendly village pub-restaurant with letting rooms, located in the lovely village of Weaverthorpe, near Malton.
Surrounded by the picturesque Yorkshire countryside, this quaint country inn enjoys a prominent position in Weaverthorpe, on the Village Green. The property comprises a 55-cover restaurant & bar area, an open beer garden to the front and a function marquee, along with ample guest parking to the rear. The guest house offers five luxury en suite rooms and there is also a two-bedroom owners apartment.
The Star Inn is superbly positioned to take advantage of the Yorkshire Wolds region and some of North Yorkshire’s most visited holiday resorts and tourist destinations.
The business has been owned and operated by Julien and Rachel Martel since 2016. They have made the decision to bring the property to market to pursue other business ventures.
They comment, “North Yorkshire will always be a popular and affluent part of the country to visit and live. When we bought the pub, we fell in love with Weaverthorpe’s local community, but we also knew there was so much touristic passing trade in the area, particularly for family adventures, retired couples, hikers and cyclists. The village is 16 miles east of Malton, which is famous for being the food and drink capital of Yorkshire, hosting a range of annual food festivals. The historic city of York is 35 miles away and Scarborough, which is one of the UK’s most visited tourist towns is only 12 miles to the west.
Sam Ashton, Senior Business Agent at Christie & Co, who is handling the sale, adds, “We continue to see a really strong appetite in North Yorkshire for freehold destination pub-restaurants with letting accommodation. The Star Inn ticks all of these boxes. This would be a great investment for an independent couple team, regional operator, or corporate pub company to purchase a beautiful pub restaurant with letting rooms, within the famous Yorkshire Wolds. The owners accommodation also makes it suitable as a managed house operation or for an in house chef / house keeper. Whilst the business is well-established, there’s plenty of opportunity for growth, such as extending the opening hours or expanding the outdoor trading areas as the garden space to the side is currently used privately by the owners.”
Offers over £465,000 are invited for the freehold interest in The Star Inn.
Clean Power Hydrogen announces proposed admission to trading on AIM
Clean Power Hydrogen (CPH2), the UK-based green hydrogen technology and manufacturing company that has developed the IP-protected Membrane-Free Electrolyser (“MFE”), is delighted to announce its proposed admission to trading on AIM (the “Admission”).
The Group designs and manufactures hydrogen production units and is focused on the commercial production of green hydrogen in a simple, safe, and sustainable manner. The Group intends to raise approximately £50 million by way of a placing of new Ordinary Shares on Admission (“Placing”). Cenkos Securities plc has been appointed as Nominated Adviser (“NOMAD”) and sole broker to CPH2.
Jon Duffy, Chief Executive Officer of CPH2, said: “We are delighted to announce our proposed placing and Admission to AIM, to support the rapid growth of CPH2. Our approach to electrolyser technology is based on challenging long held market views for the benefit of our customers and the market as a whole, and the result is a lower cost, simple, much more durable electrolyser to separate hydrogen and oxygen from water.
“The new capital raised from a listing on AIM will position the Group well to become a globally recognised and highly profitable designer, manufacturer and licensor of the membrane free electrolyser with at least a 4GW production capacity by 2030.
“Hydrogen is central to Governments’ strategies to decarbonise the economy. This drive to net-zero is changing the way that electricity is generated, stored and managed. We are aiming to be at the forefront of the technology enabling this transition.”
Standard Life Trustees swoops again for Old Fire Station office space
Helmsley Group has started 2022 with a bang after selling a further part of its The Old Fire Station development in York.
Standard Life Trustees, which acquired the ground and mezzanine floors of the office element of the mixed-use development last year, has bought the adjoining commercial unit from Helmsley and its joint venture partner on the scheme, London Ebor.
The unit had a guide price of £460,000, which represented a net initial yield of 6.24%.
Reed In Partnership has signed a lease on behalf of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), with the unit operating as a driving theory test centre.
Matthew Tootell at Bowcliffe acted for the landlord on the letting to Reed In Partnership and Richard Dunn of Sanderson Weatherall acted for the purchaser. Jonathan Wade of Wade Property Consultants acted for Helmsley and London Ebor on the sale of the unit.
Helmsley and London Ebor initially sold two floors of grade A office space to Standard Life Trustees off a guide price of £1.1m on a 999-year lease last year. This suite is occupied by patent and trademark attorneys, Secerna.
Max Reeves, development director at York-based property development and investment company Helmsley Group, said: “This latest commercial transaction at The Old Fire Station is further evidence that, despite the ongoing uncertainty brought by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on our working lives, investment and occupational appetite for quality office space continues unabated.
“We have been delighted with the positive impact The Old Fire Station has made to the central York property market and we look forward to 2022 with ongoing confidence.”
As well as providing much needed office space in central York, The Old Fire Station scheme has raised the bar for residential standards, incorporating a total of 14 apartments and townhouses within the setting of the historic former fire station.
The iconic building dates back to 1856 when it was built as Trinity Chapel, before its conversion to a fire station in 1938.
Matthew Tootell, of Bowcliffe, said: “Reed in Partnership’s continued commitment to the York market on behalf of public and government sector occupiers is positive news for the city and demonstrates the strength of The Old Fire Station’s offer and location.”
“The accommodation offered a perfect solution for the DVSA, providing high quality accommodation with easy access to the city centre.”
Richard Dunn, partner at Sanderson Weatherall, added: “The Old Fire Station continues to provide sound investment opportunities for our client, Standard Life.
“Despite the likelihood of hybrid working continuing, the dynamics of the York office market remain robust, with demand high.”
GMI construction group appoints Lee Powell to new CEO role
GMI Construction Group PLC has appointed Lee Powell to the newly created role of Chief Executive Officer to realise its vision of long-term sustainable growth.
One of the UK’s largest independent construction companies in the North of England and The Midlands, it is preparing to expand into other regions and sectors and the new CEO will implement a strategy of achieving constant and controlled growth while maintaining its debt free status.
The company, which has offices in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Teesside, is forecasting an annual turnover in excess of £350m for 2022 and has already secured £300m worth of opportunities.
Lee, previously the company’s Divisional Managing Director for Yorkshire, has already overseen exceptional growth in Yorkshire, together with its recent expansion into the North East region – establishing an office in Stockton-on-Tees, with a dedicated team of local professionals headed by a newly appointed Operations Director.
GMI Construction Group, which provides specialist design and build capabilities spanning multiple sectors, is currently involved in a range of high-profile projects, including:
- £200M development to create a train manufacturing plant, infrastructure and rail supply chain village for Siemens Mobility in Goole, East Yorkshire
- £30M office building at Thorpe Park, Leeds
- 437,000 sq. ft fulfilment centre for an online fashion retailer at Fradley Park in Lichfield, Staffordshire
- A new-build residential block comprising 259 apartments over 11 storeys, forming part of the £200M Becketwell regeneration scheme in Derby
- £30M extension to a helicopter manufacturing facility
Yorkshire fossil fuel company taken over by renewable energy group
Oil and gas exploration company, Third Energy, the business tasked with fracking in North Yorkshire, has been taken over by Wolfland Group, which specialise in green and renewable energy solutions and are based in both the UK and Ireland.
Wolfland Group completed the acquisition in early January 2022, effectively halting any further fossil fuel exploration in the region after more than 25 years, with a fresh new focus on green energy, including solar farm plans, geothermal energy at a former well site, and the possibility of producing green hydrogen and carbon storage.
Leading figure in the anti-fracking campaign, Steve Mason, is now a director of Wolfland Group and has been integral in driving forward the flip from fracking to clean, green energy, after a meeting of minds with Third Energy’s Managing Director, Russell Hoare.
Steve Mason, a director at Wolfland Group, said: “This is only just the start of our journey, with positive climate solutions at the heart of our mission. The recent energy crisis has shown that we must be energy independent as a nation and that fossil fuels need to be urgently replaced by clean renewable energy supplies which will lead to cheaper energy and help us tackle climate change.
“It will also give communities still under threat from fracking – like Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, a boost of knowing that a transition to clean energy is already underway and that there are alternatives. There’s no turning back.
“We believe we’re now a real-life example of walking the talk and turning stranded fossil fuel assets into green energy solutions. We’re excited about the future.”
The Chief Executive of Wolfland Group, Mike O’Shea, said: “With the end of COP26 producing little focus for tangible climate action, this seems the perfect timing. The government appear to be talking seriously about green energy.
“If we get this right and we drive the green agenda, taking a dirty fossil fuel fracking company and flipping it into a green energy beacon. I think it’s an amazing opportunity.”
Russell Hoare of Third Energy said: “The previous management company (York Energy) wanted us to look for renewable energy opportunities, but we had a situation where our shareholder was actively pursuing oil and gas development in the US and Ukraine. It was difficult to find green investment with the balance still swinging towards fossil fuels.
“Now we can say we’re on a cleaner path. We’ve absolutely no interest in fossil fuels now and we can move forward, open the right kind of doors and transition to a sustainable future.”
Looking towards the future, North Yorkshire-based Third Energy is looking to produce green hydrogen at their Knapton site, using either mains or piped-in formation water, which is present in large quantities in the old wells. Third Energy would use electricity from the grid connection and, if production was successful, hydrogen could be supplied to HGV, waste removal vehicles, trains or into the grid. Third Energy also has an existing pipeline network that could be used to transport water and hydrogen production.
Other projects that are being considered include using old wells to store carbon or hydrogen.
The company retained staff from the fossil fuel side of the business, focusing on education and transition into green energy, with a specific interest in helping local schools and businesses on their path to net-zero. A previous apprenticeship scheme is hoped to be reinstated, along with a renewable energy education centre at Knapton.
Steve Mason concluded: “One way or another, these old wells will be used for something else to help the country transition towards a net-zero future.
“As a local resident and now director of a fracking-company-turned-renewables-company, our priority will be to connect back with our local community, explain all of the positive changes – especially after our community was once divided by Third Energy’s fracking plans. But we won’t be changing the name: we think it’s still really relevant.
“The name Third Energy perfectly describes the energy transition that needs to take place in the UK. The first energy was fossil fuels, the second energy was nuclear and now the third energy is renewables. It’s a perfect brand for renewable energy.”
