Gas network company Cadent has announced ambitious plans to begin sourcing and using hydrogen as a replacement for natural gas.

The HyNet project is a 30-year, £900 million plan centred on a new production facility, probably located in Cheshire, that would convert natural gas into hydrogen for distribution locally, on Merseyside and in Greater Manchester.

The hydrogen will be delivered to big industrial users through a new pipeline connected directly to up to ten sites, including oil refineries and manufacturing plants.