Overview
The Thames Estuary Growth Board is all about good green growth — if it’s not good or green, then it’s not happening in the Estuary. Energy is a big part of that and that’s why we’ve been backing hydrogen as an alternative fuel for transport, logistics, construction, and heavy industry since our inception in 2020.

We have been busy aggregating demand to create a hydrogen ecosystem which is contributing to the economic regeneration of the Thames Estuary Region. We are working with a wide variety of stakeholders including public and private investors, seeking to invest in the technology, equipment, manufacturing and enabling infrastructure that will underpin that ecosystem.

A vision for the future
Why we’re backing hydrogen as a future fuel in the Estuary:

• Green industry: For industries that currently depend on gas and other fossil fuels – hard to abate sectors like high temperature industry, logistics and construction vehicles, maritime and aviation – hydrogen is a flexible, efficient and low carbon solution. Moreover, the transition away from fossil fuels will help address issues of poor air quality, improving the health and wellbeing of local people
• Scale: The drive towards Net Zero for such industries in the Thames Estuary Region – with 4 ports, 2 major airports, 30 of large construction projects and the highest concentration of heavy goods movements in the UK – creates a multi-modal opportunity for investment in hydrogen at scale like nowhere else in the UK
• Skills: The UK is a global leader in hydrogen technology research, development and commercialisation in all aspects of the hydrogen value chain: production, distribution, storage, vehicles, vessels and equipment. Many of these innovators are based in and around Greater London and are excited by the prospect of collocating their R&D and growth with world leading universities, prospective customers and export ports
• Green jobs: While the hydrogen economy is in the early stages of development in the UK and globally, by 2030 we anticipate it could support over 9,000 jobs in the Estuary alone