Hydrogen Transition Pathways for UK Industrial Clusters Study

Project Background

Penspen has been awarded the Hydrogen Transition Pathways for Industrial Clusters (HTPIC) project, a research and decision-support study for Future Energy Networks (FEN), the Energy Innovation Centre (EIC), Northern Gas Networks (NGN), and Xoserve.

The project will explore how hydrogen could support the transition of the UK’s industrial clusters and surrounding communities towards net zero. It will assess where hydrogen may play a role in decarbonisation, alongside credible alternative pathways, and under what conditions hydrogen integration may be viable.

The study considers key UK industrial clusters including Teesside, Humber, Merseyside, North Wales, South Wales, Grangemouth, and Southampton. Penspen’s engineering and asset integrity expertise will support evaluation of how hydrogen infrastructure could integrate with existing natural gas and biomethane systems as part of the wider energy transition.

Supported by Penspen’s Centre of Engineering Excellence, the work contributes to developing evidence-based insights to support long-term decarbonisation planning, considering technical feasibility, affordability, investment requirements, and wider social and workforce implications.

Services

Under the study, Penspen will undertake a technical and strategic assessment to support understanding of potential hydrogen deployment pathways across UK industrial clusters. This includes:

• Assessment of hydrogen supply and demand scenarios across industrial clusters and surrounding communities
• Evaluation of how hydrogen networks could integrate with existing natural gas and biomethane infrastructure
• Analysis of operational, maintenance, configuration, and cost implications of hydrogen conversion
• Development of transition pathways and infrastructure conversion options through to 2050
• Assessment of the practical considerations and costs associated with converting local gas networks to hydrogen
• Consideration of social, economic, workforce, and community impacts associated with the transition
• Development of a multi-criteria decision-support framework to inform planning and investment decisions
• Development of cluster-level pathway outputs and conversion insights to support long-term planning

Result

The Hydrogen Transition Pathways for Industrial Clusters study is expected to provide a structured evidence base to support industry stakeholders, network operators, and policymakers in evaluating potential hydrogen roles within industrial decarbonisation pathways.

Key expected outputs include a technical report, cluster-level insights, potential conversion pathways, and a decision-support framework to assist long-term planning and investment decisions. The study is intended to help reduce uncertainty around infrastructure options and support more informed strategic choices for future energy transition planning.

By combining engineering expertise with system-level energy transition analysis, Penspen will contribute to improved understanding of how hydrogen may fit within broader decarbonisation strategies for UK industrial clusters.

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