The Net Zero NW Cluster Plan will set out the transition to net-zero for industry in the North West of England and North East Wales. It will describe the investments, technologies, infrastructure changes and sequencing required to fulfil the UK's Industrial Clusters Mission. The project focuses on two key objectives: * Establishing a low-carbon industrial cluster by 2030, by deploying anchor investment projects including HyNet hydrogen and CCUS infrastructure * Establishing a net-zero carbon industrial cluster by 2040, underpinned by multi-vectored industrial decarbonisation solutions Industry and public sector bodies, building on the preliminary research completed in Phase 1, will collaboratively promote and engage on plans to decarbonise, ensuring businesses have a strong voice in planning decarbonisation activity in line with current and future business needs whilst leveraging inward investment opportunities. Energy consumers, networks, generators and academia will research and quantify data and evidence necessary to reach consensus on the most viable options to decarbonise in line with national and local political declarations. The project will engage and support other complementary initiatives in the region, including but not limited to HyNet (an anchor project), the NW Hydrogen Alliance, E-Port, Mersey Tidal Energy, North West Nuclear Arc and others. The largest industries in the cluster account for over 6 million tonnes of carbon emissions per annum, from diverse facilities that include oil refining, downstream processing, cement, fertiliser production, glass manufacturing, base chemicals, food manufacturing, automotive, and personal care products. Further industrial emissions are associated with other industry across the broader NW region, extending up to Lancashire and Cumbria. Industrial process energy and heat consumed across all businesses in the area is over 27 TWhr per annum-the region of North Cheshire alone uses 5% of UK power. Several manufacturing and light industrial businesses reliant on energy intensive processes are located in business parks with the potential to employ shared infrastructure, including heat networks, smart grids and decentralised generation. The project takes an industry and innovation-led approach guiding the decarbonisation of the first UK industrial cluster on a low-cost, low-regrets basis whilst exploring opportunities for shared infrastructure with the South Wales industrial cluster and others. By enabling multiple industrial facilities to reduce their emissions by the greatest possible extent, with knock-on effects in the reduction of commercial, domestic and transport emissions, the Net Zero NW Cluster Plan will realise over 33,000 new jobs, over £4bn investment and the world's first net-zero industrial cluster.

The UK has passed legislation to deliver Net Zero emissions by 2050. Significant progress has been, and continues to be made, in the decarbonisation of the power sector. However, very little progress has been made in the decarbonisation of the 'hard to reach' sectors of the economy such as industry, heat and heavy transport. HyNet was conceived in 2016 as a hydrogen / CCUS project to provide a decarbonisation pathway in the North West. The initial focus is on industrial decarbonisation, at the same time as building the infrastructure for the transition to a full regional hydrogen economy. The North West of the UK houses one of the largest and most mature industrial clusters in the UK. This industrial cluster is in a geographic area which includes parts of North East Wales, Cheshire, Warrington, Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester, and generates approximately 6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. This area is home to approximately 4 million people. Decarbonisation of this entire industrial cluster to net-zero levels, in line with the Industrial Clusters Mission, offers the chance to position it as a world leading clean manufacturing hub which will attract new customers and investment. The HyNet project is centred on the industrial complex on the south bank of the Mersey between Ellesmere Port and Runcorn. Bulk low carbon hydrogen production facilities will be constructed onsite at Stanlow Refinery (the HyNet Hydrogen Supply Project), providing hydrogen for industrial fuel switching, blending into the local gas distribution network, transport applications and flexible power generation. The HyNet CCUS network will provide the infrastructure to transport and store the carbon dioxide produced as a by-product of the hydrogen production process. A number of the UK's largest point source industrial emitters are located in this cluster, including Stanlow Refinery itself and will form 'anchor' customers for the CCUS transport and storage network. The CCUS network will principally use existing oil and gas assets to transport the CO2 to the Liverpool Bay fields and sequester it in depleted gas reservoirs. HyNet is one of the lowest cost, lowest risk, most deliverable CCUS projects in the UK. HyNet has been in development for over 3 years, and is now ready to enter a FEED programme of engineering and permitting activities to reach a Final Investment Decision. This project will undertake the FEED phase planning and costing activity.

The UK is now locked into a Net Zero CO2 2050 target by the Climate Change Act. To achieve this, urgent delivery of Cluster-based industrial decarbonisation is essential. Local NW industry has responded to the UK Net Zero-carbon target and articulated that joint working on solutions is needed. The area has seen recent investment in facilities to unlock industrial decarbonisation with plans for scaled hydrogen production to make a major step change in the supply of energy. The roadmap will start to develop a plan to decarbonise to Net Zero all green-house gas emissions associated with the industrial production across the geography -- seeking a rapid reduction in emissions within the 2020's in keeping with both national and local political declarations, and defining no-regret pathways to 2050 that consider future scenarios. The primary focus is on the industrial emissions of Cheshire, parts of North East Wales, Warrington, Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester. Broader industrial CO2 emissions and clean energy prospects in Lancashire and Cumbria will be considered in aggregate. Many businesses are remote from major emitters and a plan must consider these also. A roadmap that encompasses this large geography is viewed as essential in order to understand the strategic infrastructure investment required to balance sufficient production and supply of energy from clean sources. The project was initiated by the North West Energy and Hydrogen Cluster, uniting industry around a common vision for rapid decarbonisation. The North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT) will help coalesce the various interests and meets regularly to further the establishment of a Net Zero carbon industrial Cluster by 2040.