Don’t believe the HyNet hype

HyNet will lock our region into a fossil fuel future.

HyNet will produce blue hydrogen from gas at the Stanlow refinery in Cheshire and use carbon capture and storage to bury millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide under the Liverpool Bay seabed.

HyNet is one of four blue hydrogen and carbon capture and storage schemes which has received part of £22billion in government subsidies paid to filthy rich fossil fuel companies.

The fossil fuel industry is deceiving the public and politicians by greenwashing blue hydrogen and carbon capture to make these false solutions seem clean and green.

The fossil fuel industry is selling a lie. The government is buying it and paying for it with billions of pounds of public money.

HyNet will damage the local region and the climate. If you don’t want the risk of dangerous leaks and continued reliance on imported gas, join us in fighting against the HyNet scheme.

What is HyNet?

HyNet is a hydrogen and carbon capture and storage scheme in Cheshire and North Wales led by fossil fuel companies Cadent, Essar/EET Fuels and Eni. HyNet plans to supply hydrogen to industries across the North West via extensive pipelines.

HyNet will capture carbon dioxide from the blue hydrogen production process at Stanlow and store it in depleted gas reservoirs under the Liverpool Bay seabed. Other carbon intensive industries in the region will also utilise the carbon capture and storage infrastructure to dispose of their emissions.

What is blue hydrogen?

Blue hydrogen is produced from methane gas. The energy intensive production process creates large amounts of carbon dioxide. The fossil fuel industry calls blue hydrogen ‘low carbon’ to greenwash it and make it seem clean.

“Blue hydrogen is at best an expensive distraction and at worst a lock-in for continued fossil fuel use that guarantees we’ll fail to meet our decarbonisation goals.”

Chris Jackson, former chair of Hydrogen Energy Association

Blue hydrogen isn’t green, isn’t economical and isn’t a clean energy solution. It’s a last gasp deception by the fossil fuel industry to maintain business as usual.

What is carbon capture and storage?

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a process which captures carbon dioxide emissions at the source of production. CCS is dangerous, expensive, energy intensive and unproven at scale.

• HyNet claims it’ll capture over 95% of CO₂ emissions, but CCS hasn’t been tested or proven at the scale HyNet claims it’ll achieve.
• In five decades of global CCS projects, none have hit their capture targets.
• In the last 30 years, 80% of large CCS projects have been postponed or failed.

Are hydrogen and carbon capture and storage safe?

• Hydrogen is an unstable gas. It’s highly volatile and prone to leaks, causing explosions at refuelling centres. HyNet wants to run its pipeline for 100km through Cheshire and Merseyside to store vast quantities in underground salt caverns at Northwich.
• Carbon dioxide pipelines aren’t safe. Impurities in this mix makes the pipeline more vulnerable to corrosion and leaks. Leakages in the USA led to dozens of hospitalisations because CO₂ is an asphyxiant.

Will HyNet help fight the climate crisis?

• Blue hydrogen and CCS aren’t low carbon or sustainable.
• Peer-reviewed science says the greenhouse gas footprint.
  of blue hydrogen is more than 20% greater than burning
  gas or coal for heat (Cornell University/Stanford University).
• Hydrogen is an indirect greenhouse gas and is prone to leaks because it’s the smallest molecule in the universe.
• HyNet will rely on imported liquified natural gas (LNG) which means continued extraction, leaks and emissions.
• Eni will monitor the carbon dioxide under Liverpool Bay for only 20 years.

Will HyNet reduce energy bills and contribute to energy security?

• Blue hydrogen damages energy security. HyNet plans to produce blue H₂ from fossil gas as a power source for industry. As UK gas supplies dwindle, imported gas will be required which increases energy insecurity.
• CCS is extremely expensive. It’s been ranked as the most expensive, least effective way to reduce emissions by 2030.
• Renewables are key to cheaper bills. They’re cheaper and more reliable than blue hydrogen and protect us against oil and gas price shocks which increase consumer costs. Taxpayer money should be spent on measures that actually reduce energy bills.

Is HyNet value for money?

• HyNet will cost an estimated £900million and will receive large government subsidies paid from the public purse.
• Subsidies for fossil fuel schemes divert investment from renewable energy projects and new green technologies.
• Blue hydrogen is more costly than gas because it wastes up to 30% of the original energy in the inefficient and expensive production process.
• Blue hydrogen can never be cheaper than the gas used to make it.

Paying fossil fuel companies to run blue hydrogen and CCS schemes is like paying tobacco companies to run cancer wards.

Will HyNet create jobs?

• Only in the short-term. Any jobs created would likely be in the construction industry and many specialised infrastructure projects rely on imported specialist labour.
• The government claims CCS will provide 4,000 jobs but doesn’t provide any evidence.
• There are better alternatives. Proven green industries such as renewables, insulation and heat pump installation should be funded to create sustainable jobs.

What would be better than HyNet?

• Invest in zero carbon energy technologies like wind, solar and wave.
• Reskill workers and create new jobs in the renewable energy sector and green economy.
• Upgrade and expand the national electricity grid.
• Electrify industrial heat processes using large-scale heat pumps and other innovative green technologies.
• Produce green hydrogen from water using electrolysers powered by renewable energy, but only use green H₂ when it isn’t possible to electrify industrial processes.

What can you do to help oppose HyNet?

Help us oppose HyNet, blue hydrogen, CCS and fossil fuel industry greenwash.

• Share our website and follow us on Bluesky, Facebook and X.
• Sign up to our email newsletter to support our campaign and find out about actions you can take.
• Object to HyNet, Essar/EET Fuels and Eni planning applications.
• Ask why Cheshire West and Chester Council, its Climate Emergency Taskforce and our local MPs support HyNet.

Who are we?

HyNot is a local campaign group made up of concerned citizens and members of NGOs, environmental organisations and political parties. We’re holding the line against the fossil fuel industry in Cheshire and North Wales.

Contact Us