Across the UK, decarbonizing transport and industry remains central to achieving national climate targets. Heavy‑duty transport, buses, and industrial heat users still rely heavily on fossil fuels, creating a significant emissions burden that cannot be addressed through electrification alone. The Bradford Low Carbon Hydrogen (BLCH) project, which was led by a joint venture between Hygen and N‑Gen, represented a pioneering step toward tackling this challenge at scale.

Located on a former gas storage site in Bradford, the project transformed a legacy asset into a modern clean‑energy hub. Once operational, the plant was designed to produce up to 12.5 tonnes of low‑carbon hydrogen per day, enough to replace the fuel consumption of 800 diesel buses across West Yorkshire, placing it among the largest low‑carbon hydrogen facilities in the UK. 

Delivering an integrated brownfield design approach 

In 2024, Wood was selected to deliver the detailed design for this major brownfield hydrogen development, drawing on its strong hydrogen capabilities, greenfield excellence, and deep end‑to‑end asset knowledge. The design work was executed by Wood’s specialist hydrogen and process teams based in Stockton, ensuring the project benefits from regional expertise backed by global technical excellence. 

Once constructed, the facility was designed to supply hydrogen both through an integrated vehicle refueling station and distribution to heavy industry, offering a practical, scalable alternative to natural gas. The project formed part of a wider £2bn UK government initiative to accelerate hydrogen production and demand. 

Wood delivered a robust and future‑ready detailed engineering design, covering complete brownfield site design for hydrogen production and dispensing facilities, development of advanced 3D models and visualization assets to ensure construction‑ready design quality, specialist hydrogen safety analysis, including design for welding high‑pressure hydrogen pipelines, and operational readiness planning to prepare for future project stages.

To ensure design accuracy and limit scope creep, Wood worked closely with Hygen and N‑Gen to realign the initial brief, removing unnecessary elements, ensuring precise cost definition, and optimizing resource allocation. This collaborative, transparent approach helped the client streamline early investment decisions and create a more predictable pathway into construction. 

Implementing cutting‑edge technology and robust safety measures

The project included additional safety modelling to assess and minimize risk to the surrounding area. Safety remained central to the entire design, reflecting hydrogen’s unique operational characteristics and ensuring the facility’s long‑term resilience. 

By redeveloping a former gas storage site, BLCH linked the city’s historic energy heritage with a low‑carbon future, while simplifying grid access and leveraging existing industrial zoning. The detailed design incorporated high‑fidelity 3D modelling, enabling improved constructability reviews, risk identification, and optimized layout decisions for production, dispensing, and safety systems. 

With production equivalent to displacing 800 diesel buses, the facility was designed to play a critical role in reducing emissions across West Yorkshire’s transport and industrial sectors. Hydrogen specialists ensured the design adhered to stringent safety standards, including the integration of protective systems for high‑pressure operations and data‑driven modelling of site‑wide risk scenarios. 

The BLCH facility advanced West Yorkshire’s climate commitments and positioned Bradford as a hub for clean‑energy innovation, supporting the region’s shift from diesel to low‑carbon fuels. It aligned with broader UK policy priorities to scale hydrogen production and stimulated demand through government‑backed investment programmes. 

The project set a new benchmark for safe, future‑ready hydrogen production infrastructure. With a fully defined, construction‑ready design, the joint venture was equipped to move confidently into execution and scale operations over time. 

The contract reinforced Wood’s growing leadership in hydrogen engineering and built on its track record delivering complex brownfield clean‑energy projects. By acting as a strategic, technically trusted partner, Wood helped accelerate the UK’s transition to low‑carbon fuels.