Hull, 20 November 2025 – HiiROC-X Developments Limited (“HiiROC”) and East Midlands Pipeline Limited (“EMP”) are delighted to announce a landmark Development Agreement to advance the deployment of hydrogen in the East & West Midlands.

EMP is leading a consortium to repurpose an idle pipeline into a hydrogen-ready asset for the storage and transport of clean hydrogen, bringing together biomethane providers, hydrogen offtakers, power offtakers and hydrogen supply partners. The project aims to deploy complementary clean energy technologies to produce hydrogen from partners’ biomethane. HiiROC will play a key role in this by providing a scalable solution for producing clean hydrogen, acting as a hydrogen producer and supplier through the deployment of its proprietary Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) technology.

HiiROC’s process – Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) – uses a fraction of the electricity of water electrolysis and produces no CO2 emissions, making it compliant with the UK’s Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard (LCHS). By leveraging the existing gas network and locating hydrogen production at the point of use, HiiROC can deploy at pace, avoiding the wait for new hydrogen pipelines or CCS clusters to come online. Using biomethane as a feedstock produces carbon negative ‘biohydrogen’, reducing atmospheric CO₂ and sequestering the carbon as a solid.

The joint vision is to unlock significant potential for carbon negative biohydrogen and related products, supporting decarbonisation and energy security across power, energy, transport – even cosmetics. The consortium anticipates processing up to 200 tonnes of biomethane per day, converting it into 50 tonnes of hydrogen using HiiROC’s technology.

The agreement, effective from 13 November 2025, sets out the principal terms for HiiROC and EMP to work together on a Concept Study at EMP’s Nottingham site. This study will assess the technoeconomic feasibility of integrating HiiROC’s TPE technology with EMP’s pipeline assets, targeting initial production of up to three tonnes of biohydrogen per day, with significant potential for scale and supply to key offtakers.

“We are excited to partner with EMP and believe this collaboration will drive significant advancements in the decarbonisation of energy infrastructure and the production of carbon negative hydrogen,” said Tim Davies, Chief Executive at HiiROC. “Together, we aim to demonstrate the commercial and environmental benefits of our TPE technology in the UK.”

EMP shares HiiROC’s vision for a sustainable future. “We look forward to working closely with HiiROC to unlock the potential of biomethane-to-hydrogen conversion and deliver innovative hydrogen energy options for the region,” said Deborah Soloman, Director at EMP.

The Concept Study will provide the foundation for further technical and commercial collaboration, with the potential to progress to a full feasibility study and broader project rollout.

Both HiiROC and East Midlands Pipeline are member of East Midlands Hydrogen.

For more information, please contact: press@hiiroc.com

 

About HiiROC

HiiROC is a pioneering British company dedicated to accelerating Net Zero by delivering on the promise of affordable clean hydrogen. HiiROC’s proprietary process, Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE), produces clean hydrogen using just one-fifth of the electricity needed for water electrolysis, without producing CO₂.  Low-cost, scalable, and leveraging existing infrastructure, TPE makes clean hydrogen commercially viable without waiting for new renewables, pipelines, or storage.

Founded in 2019, HiiROC has quickly established itself as a leader in the sector, with development facilities in Hull, commercial offices in the south of England, and a research lab in Europe.  Investors include Centrica, Cemex Ventures, GKN, Hyundai/Kia and World Kinect.  For more information, please visit: www.hiiroc.com

 

About East Midland Pipeline Ltd.

East Midlands Pipeline Ltd. (EMP) is leading a transformational project that will redefine the hydrogen landscape in the UK. By repurposing a 63 km decommissioned underground fuel pipeline, EMP is creating a hydrogen-ready infrastructure to transport and store green hydrogen. This converted pipeline will serve as the backbone of a vibrant hydrogen ecosystem across the East and West Midlands – connecting generation, storage, and offtake hubs.

With operational readiness expected in the next 2–3 years, the project is set to catalyse the development of a fully integrated hydrogen network. EMP’s vision goes well beyond simply building infrastructure: it aims to accelerate the creation of a regional hydrogen generation “valley,” enabling distributed green hydrogen production, strategic storage, and multi-sector offtake at scale. By harnessing existing infrastructure, EMP is significantly reducing costs and speeding up delivery, providing a nationally replicable model for efficient hydrogen deployment.

This initiative is a major step toward establishing a resilient hydrogen economy – unlocking demand, enhancing energy security, and enabling sustained hydrogen supply for transport, industry, and more.

For more information, please visit: https://empipeline.co.uk/

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