BP's Redcar hydrogen hub leaflet 'deliberately misleading'

BP's consultation on HyGreen Teesside runs until 6 July

Householders opposed to a home hydrogen trial have criticised a major energy company for not making it clear that its proposed production plant could supply the controversial pilot scheme.

BP is consulting on its HyGreen project in Redcar, Teesside until 6 July.

Resident Steve Rudd said BP's leaflets on the proposed plant were "very deliberately misleading".

But BP said they were specific to the project rather than wider projects in the region or the potential customers.

The proposed HyGreen facility would produce hydrogen from water, powered mostly by offshore wind but also by solar, energy from waste, and electricity from the national grid, the company said.

The leaflets say this hydrogen could be used in industry and transport but do not mention its potential use in homes as part of the government's Hydrogen Village trial.

'Lies by omission'

Two gas suppliers - Northern Gas Networks (NGN) in Redcar and Cadent Gas in Whitby, Cheshire - are bidding to host the trial, which would test the viability of the gas for domestic heating and cooking.

Residents in both areas have raised concerns about safety, cost and what happens after the trial ends.

Mr Rudd said: "BP's leaflet only mentions hydrogen for industrial purposes, whereas their online report mentions supplying Northern Gas for the proposed hydrogen trials in our homes.

"[I'm] not happy with lies by omission."

BP said it had seven preliminary agreements with a "wide range" of possible customers, only one of which was NGN.

"Neither HyGreen Teesside or H2Teesside are dependent on this single potential customer or this trial," a spokesperson added.

The Hydrogen Village trial would test the viability of the gas for domestic heating and cooking

Dawn Campbell, who rents out properties in the area, said "local providers make sense" if the trial goes ahead.

But she said the timing of the two proposals - HyGreen and the Hydrogen Village trial - "may be more than a coincidence with decision makers seeing an opportunity to bundle up a potentially dangerous and extremely costly trial with jobs for the area".

Peter Dunsby, who runs a renewable energy company and has been advising Redcar and Whitby residents, said he supported the use of green hydrogen, but not for the homes trial.

"All independent experts acknowledge however that hydrogen should play little or no role in our home heating," he said.