Kimberly-Clark is embarking on an ambitious project to build a green hydrogen hub in Cumbria. Partnered with Carlton Power, the company aims to decarbonize its global operations.
Green hydrogen is a sustainable fuel source. It is produced by using electrolysers to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen with the help of renewable electricity. Kimberly-Clark’s Cumbrian production hub will import renewable electricity from the grid to power this electrolysis process, leading to the production of around 3,000 tonnes of hydrogen annually.
The company’s £40m initiative has already passed the first round of the UK government’s Hydrogen Allocation scheme, securing a financial contract from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.
Kimberly-Clark plans for the Cumbrian hydrogen plant to be operational by 2026. It forms part of a larger plan to move away from fossil fuels across all their global sites. The company’s factory in Barrow, Cumbria is expected to be the key user of the hub’s hydrogen output.
The consumer goods manufacturer has already achieved significant progress in its UK decarbonisation campaign. Kimberly-Clark has converted 80% of its UK electricity supply to renewables via a Power Purchase Agreement with Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust. The Barrow hydrogen project will substitute the natural gas used by its boilers with hydrogen, thereby reducing its natural gas consumption by 30%.
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