Why is the UK Government backing a hydrogen plant when the Health and Safety Executive says it’s unsafe?

An artists impression of how the new Hydrogen site could look

Martin Shipton

Opponents of a proposed hydrogen plant near homes and businesses say they find it extraordinary that Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her backing for it – even though the Health and Safety Executive has advised that it was potentially dangerous.

Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) plans to sell land at the Brynmenyn Industrial Estate, near Bridgend, for around £1m to Cardiff Capital Region, a consortium of 10 local authorities in south east Wales, local businesses and other organisations.

The land would then be used in conjunction with the Japanese Marubeni Corporation to develop hydrogen as a clean energy source.

Cardiff Capital Region

In 2022 BCBC signed a memorandum of understanding with Marubeni which set out how they intended to work together to explore and develop a hydrogen energy initiative. But later BCBC withdrew from the project on the grounds of affordability. It was later taken up by Cardiff Capital Region, which has agreed to buy the land if planning permission for a hydrogen and solar plant on the site is granted.

However, Marubeni has a chequered history, with a total of 86 separate convictions involving the corporation and its subsidiary companies in the United States since 2000 with fines totalling nearly $160m.

The two most serious offences relate to two bribery convictions under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, with one resulting in a fine of £88m and the other a fine of $54.6m.

But there are safety concerns too.

Lawrence Till is a director of an engineering company whose premises in Bridgend looks on to the site of a hydrogen plant whose construction is due to start in the autumn.

Safety issues

He has spent his career working in the energy industry and has years of experience working in zones with elevated explosion risks. He has expressed concern about the safety of hydrogen plants like the one proposed, stating: “The costs associated with hydrogen are significant – and the safety issues of hydrogen are very significant. When Norway had four [hydrogen] filling stations, one of them exploded, resulting in the whole of the infrastructure for hydrogen cars in the country collapsing. There have been multiple hydrogen-related issues in transport in California, including a seven-month old facility with 10 buses at $1.1m each where one of the buses exploded during refuelling.

“Even the HSE accidentally had an explosion when testing the safety related to the ignition of a hydrogen leak that occurred during refuelling, showing the very low ignition level at which hydrogen presents safety risks.”

BCBC recently published the HSE’s response to the application for Hazardous Substances Consent (HAZ) at the proposed HyBont hydrogen site.

Hazardous Substances Consent

The HSE has recommended against approving the HAZ application on the basis that it has “concluded that the risks to the surrounding population arising from the proposed operation(s) are sufficiently high to justify advising against the granting of Hazardous Substances Consent on grounds of safety”.

However, in her Budget last month Ms Reeves included the Bridgend proposal in a list of hydrogen projects endorsed by the UK Government.

A document released at the time of the Budget stated: “Green hydrogen – HyBont will generate 443 tonnes of green hydrogen per year

“Confirming £125m for Great British Energy, which will be headquartered in Aberdeen. The government has also confirmed support for two electrolytic hydrogen projects: two in Wales, in Milford Haven and Bridgend, and in Scotland, in Cromarthy and Whitellee, to support low carbon hydrogen production and directly create good quality, local jobs.”

‘Ridiculous’

A spokesperson for the Residents and Businesses Against HyBont action group said: “The situation is absolutely ridiculous. There is no way the UK Government should be supporting a project that has been condemned as a potential safety risk by the HSE.”

When the HSE’s objection to the Bridgend scheme became known, the action group said: “This comes as no surprise to us. As a group we have had serious concerns as to the safety of storing up to five tonnes of hydrogen within 40 metres of the nearest residential premises and even closer to the nearest business premises.

“Questions must now be asked of the BCBC councillors who have been trying to push this proposal through despite the grave concerns of many residents, business owners and Independent councillors.”

Asked whether it was appropriate for the scheme to be supported in the light of the HSE’s objections, a spokesman for the Welsh Government said: “It would not be appropriate for the Welsh Government to comment on any individual projects that are subject to a live planning application.”

We asked the Treasury to comment. The Treasury passed our request to the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said:

“Hydrogen will play an important role in our mission to become a clean energy superpower, providing an abundant source of cleaner, homegrown energy.

“The UK has long-standing expertise in the safe production, transportation, storage and use of hydrogen for industrial purposes – where it has been used for decades.

“Robust health and safety standards are fundamental to the development of our hydrogen industry, with any new projects having to obtain the necessary consents and regulatory approvals before beginning operations.”