The UK Government has backed a trio of large-scale green hydrogen projects that will host the country’s biggest installation of electrolysers to date, aiming to slash carbon emissions from local industry by 2027.
Plug Power, a US-based hydrogen technology company, has been chosen to supply 55MW of electrolysers and long-term service support for three sites being developed by Carlton Power across England. The equipment award, still dependent on final investment decisions (FIDs), covers 30MW at Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, 15MW at Trafford near Manchester and 10MW at Langage near Plymouth.
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The projects are designed to produce green hydrogen using renewable or low-carbon electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, avoiding the fossil fuels traditionally used in hydrogen production. Once operational, they will supply cleaner fuel to industrial users, heavy transport fleets and other local customers, helping to decarbonise some of the most difficult sectors to electrify.
At Barrow-in-Furness, six 5MW Proton Exchange Membrane electrolysers from Plug Power will generate hydrogen for consumer goods manufacturer Kimberly-Clark under a dedicated offtake agreement. The company plans to use the fuel to cut emissions at its nearby plant, which produces familiar household paper products.
In Greater Manchester, the Trafford Green Hydrogen project will be built within the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park. Scheduled to start operations in 2027, it is one of the UK’s flagship hydrogen hubs and will serve industries, freight operators and municipal vehicle fleets across the region. Local leaders see it as a key pillar in Greater Manchester’s long-term net-zero ambitions.
Further south, at Langage, two 5MW electrolyzers are planned to initially supply green hydrogen to nearby industrial facilities, with the potential to expand into transport fuel and low-carbon heating as demand grows.
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By GlobalDataAll three projects have been selected for support under the UK Government’s Hydrogen Business Model, through the first Hydrogen Allocation Round. FIDs for Barrow and Trafford are expected by the end of 2025, with Langage to follow in early 2026.
Once up and running, the combined capacity will form the largest electrolyser deployment currently planned in the UK, strengthening regional hydrogen infrastructure in the North West, the Manchester city region and the South West. Policymakers and developers view these schemes as test cases for how green hydrogen can bolster energy security while cutting emissions from heavy industry.
Executives at Plug Power and Carlton Power say the projects demonstrate growing confidence in green hydrogen as a commercial tool for industrial decarbonisation, backed by long-term government support and private investment. If they proceed as planned, the plants will provide a template for similar hydrogen clusters across the country, bringing the UK a step closer to its low-carbon hydrogen production targets for the 2030s.
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