Rishi Sunak visits the National Gas sight in Norfolk with Jon Butterworth, the company’s CEO. (Photo by Joe Gidens – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

National Gas and Fluxys Belgium, the British and Belgian gas transmission networks, respectively, have entered a cross-border collaboration agreement focusing on decarbonising gas infrastructure, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and the utilisation of North Sea energy resources.

At the UK embassy in Brussels, UK Energy Minister Andrew Bowie signed a memorandum of understanding with the Belgian Minister for Energy Tinne Van der Straeten to increase cooperation on decarbonisation infrastructure, marking 25 years of operation of the gas Interconnector, which runs from Norfolk to Zeebrugge.

The agreement looks to advance the exchange of hydrogen energy between the two nations. Fluxys Belgium is developing large-scale hydrogen and National Gas has launched Project Union to connect hydrogen infrastructure.

Bowie said: “Today the UK cemented its position as a world-leader in green hydrogen production, backing new projects from the south-west of England to the Scottish Highlands. This agreement between the British and Belgian national gas transmission networks will provide the essential infrastructure for transporting hydrogen and build on 25 years of collaboration to bolster the UK and Europe’s energy security for the coming decades.”

Hydrogen has been a recent focus for policymakers. On Thursday, the UK Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero (DESNZ) confirmed that 11 green hydrogen projects will benefit from funding through its Hydrogen Production Business Model. Through such projects, 125MW of new renewable hydrogen production capacity will be generated.

Claire Coutinho, DESNZ Secretary, said: “Today’s announcement represents the largest number of commercial-scale green hydrogen production projects announced at once anywhere in Europe.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The government aims to bring 10GW of ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen online by 2030. To guarantee the ‘low-carbon’ facet, at least half of this will be green hydrogen, but the rest will be blue. Blue hydrogen is produced using natural gas and requires co-location of CCS to ensure it is neutral in terms of the environment.