FOUR new companies have signed up to join the North West Hydrogen Alliance (NWHA). The new members – Fichtner, Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), Powerhouse Energy and Swagelok – take the membership count to 30, cementing the organisation’s position as the UK’s largest industry-funded regional hydrogen alliance.

It comes as the Alliance throws its weight behind HyNet North West – the UK’s leading hydrogen and carbon capture project – which is seen as critical to delivering the Government’s Hydrogen Strategy and meeting net zero targets.

The new members are:

• Fitchner – an international engineering and technology consultancy group, committed to delivering the Energy Transition with more than three decades’ experience in the hydrogen sector.
• Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) – MTC was established to prove innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in an agile environment in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions.
• Powerhouse Energy – a sustainable hydrogen company which has developed a pioneering technology to transform plastics and waste into clean energy. The technology will be used at the UK’s first waste plastic to hydrogen facility at Peel NRE’s Protos in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
• Swagelok Manchester – the leading provider of fluid system solutions including application engineering, design support, and unique problem resolution through our fabrication team. Swagelok offers a wide range of fluid system components for use in many types of hydrogen-related applications including the infrastructure that produces, transports, compresses, stores, and fills cylinders with hydrogen for on-vehicle use.

Professor Joe Howe, Chair of the NWHA and Executive Director, Energy Research Institute at the University of Chester, said:

“The growth of the North West Hydrogen Alliance highlights the commitment organisations are making to decarbonisation and their desire to be leading the net zero mission in the North West. As the recent Hydrogen Strategy highlights, hydrogen is a vital part of our low carbon future and has the potential to create new green jobs, safeguard our industries and reduce emissions. With the right support from Government for projects like HyNet North West, we can create a world-leading hydrogen economy which can be replicated globally.”

Paul Noble, Business Development Manager at Fichtner:

“Fichtner is delighted to join the North West Hydrogen Alliance to play our part in the development and, most importantly, construction of the exciting portfolio of hydrogen projects in the North West of England. Our engineers bring technical excellence coupled with practical experience to projects – this will help to manage risks and support investment in hydrogen projects – which are crucial to delivering the net zero energy transition.”

Charlie Whitford, Director of North West and Regions, Strategic Development, MTC, said:

“The Manufacturing Technology Centre is delighted to be joining to support the hydrogen and clean energy transition within both the North West and wider UK. Supporting the delivery of net zero, including hydrogen, is core to our vision for future UK manufacturing. Through our Liverpool, Midlands and South East facilities, we are supporting the next generation of green manufacturing technologies to ensure clean growth, stimulate investment in the UK supply chain and create and safeguard North West and wider UK jobs in hydrogen.” 

James Greenstreet, Non Executive Chairman of Powerhouse Energy, said:

“We’re delighted to have joined the alliance to help champion and bring together technologies that are helping the region to become a leader in the UK’s hydrogen economy, whilst helping improve air quality for communities across the North West as hydrogen replaces diesel as a transport fuel.  As the UK strives to reach its net zero targets it is clear the Alliance will play a key role in helping ramp up hydrogen production for the country’s clean energy transition.”

Mitch Brunt, Projects Sales Manager – Gas Networks and Hydrogen at Swagelok Manchester said:

“We are very pleased to have joined the North West Hydrogen Alliance and recognise the North West has a key role to play in developing and implementing the UK’s hydrogen strategy and journey towards net zero.

“We are looking forward to sharing our experience and expertise in hydrogen fluid system technologies and working with the team and other members to deliver safe and reliable solutions on projects and opportunities.”