Leading Cumbria businesses including Carlton Power, Innovia Films, Kimberly-Clark, McMenon Engineering, Northern Gas Networks, Pirelli Tyres and TSP Engineering attended a hydrogen summit in Cockermouth. Led by Workington MP Mark Jenkinson, business leaders and business groups discussed how to unlock Cumbria’s full hydrogen potential.
Cumbria has a once in a generation opportunity to play a significant role in the UK’s emerging hydrogen economy, bringing local investment, creating jobs, strengthening energy and technology security while helping to decarbonise local industry.
Despite the recent positive news about the development of a hydrogen production facility in Barrow by Carlton Power, attendees agreed that Cumbria is at risk of falling behind other hydrogen hotspots in the UK like Teesside, Humberside and Merseyside.
Mark Jenkinson MP said:
“Already other cities, states and nations are mobilising to compete in the global hydrogen race, seeking to secure the investment that we want to see in Cumbria. I am delighted to bring businesses and business groups together to discuss how we can make sure Cumbria is an attractive place to invest in and deploy hydrogen technology.”
“Last month’s announcement of a £40 million hydrogen production facility in Barrow by Carlton Power demonstrates our region’s enormous potential to capitalise on the hydrogen opportunity. Now is the time to build on this forward momentum.”
Attendees told Mark Jenkinson MP, who is a member of the influential Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee in Westminster, that policy certainty from the Government is key to unlocking further business investment in the region.
Melanie Taylor Head of Stakeholder Relations at Northern Gas Networks, the local gas distributor, said:
“There is clearly a huge appetite from industry to decarbonise quickly using low-carbon hydrogen. Policy certainty is a key part of that puzzle and means that businesses like ours can make long-term strategic investments that help us on the way to Net Zero, with confidence.
