| | SEPTEMBER 202319CXO INSIGHTSIn the late 18th century, the market town of Manchester in North West England was transformed into an industrial powerhouse. Cotton and textile factories were built across the landscape, powered by the large numbers of people migrating there from across the land, including my ancestors, all coming to work in what afterwards became known as Cottonpolis--the world's first industrial city.The Industrial Revolution changed the face of North West England and went on to change the world. Two hundred years later, the North West of England is leading the next industrial revolution, and it will have similar implications for the world. This revolution is the transition of heavy industry away from fossil fuels to clean energy like hydrogen.This transition is important. Fifteen thousand industrial businesses are based in the area, directly employing 350,000 people, with many times that indirectly employed in businesses supporting the sector. These are good jobs, with the average wage worth 130% of the average wage in the UK. The industry in the region has national importance too, contributing more than £18bn in economic value each year. The industry is, however, a major source of carbon-around 13% of total UK carbon emissions come from the sector nationwide. While those emissions have fallen by 55% since 1990, this has largely been achieved by process efficiency gains and some offshoring. If we are to reach net zero by 2050 while protecting jobs and economic value in the region, we will need to move beyond process efficiency to fuel switching. Away from natural gas, coal, and oil to clean alternatives such as electricity and hydrogen.HyNet is a partnership of several organisations developing hydrogen infrastructure in the region and is a microcosm of that future economy. This partnership provides the infrastructure to produce, transport and store low-carbon hydrogen across the North West and North Wales. HyNet involves upgrading existing infrastructure and developing new infrastructure, including underground HYNET: THE NEXT INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONBy David Watson, Head of Energy Transition, CadentTo preserve the North West's role as an industrial powerhouse whilst reducing the sector's emissions and delivering on the UK's net zero targets, HyNet is pivotalDavid Watson
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