John leads the development of large-scale hydrogen transport infrastructure projects, including Humber Hydrogen and Project Union: East Coast, helping to support industry and accelerate decarbonisation. Humber Hydrogen is a partnership between National Gas, Equinor, Centrica and SSE Thermal, aiming to deliver Britain’s first integrated hydrogen transport and storage network. Project Union: East Coast is the first phase of National Gas’s proposed national hydrogen network.

National Gas owns and operates the UK’s 5,000-mile National Transmission System and is developing the hydrogen transmission system of the future. John’s focus is on helping to kick-start this transition through Humber Hydrogen, which will connect hydrogen production with industrial demand across the Humber and integrate with Project Union, the planned national hydrogen network.

A Chartered Engineer with 15 years of industry experience, John brings expertise in energy infrastructure, innovation and system transformation.

Plenary presentation

Policy Credibility, Delivery Velocity: Can the Humber Unlock Britain's Hydrogen Future?

The UK entered the hydrogen race with one of the world's most coherent national strategies, yet translating ambition into delivery has proven challenging. Delays in project development, contracting, and infrastructure coordination have highlighted the complexities of building a new energy system.

This talk reflects on the lessons learned since 2021 and outlines how the next phase of hydrogen deployment will be defined by networks, coordination, and regional delivery. It showcases Humber Hydrogen's vision for integrating production, storage, transport, and industrial demand, and explores why the Humber could become the catalyst for Britain's next energy revolution.