A new report warns that the UK’s path to net zero risks “running dry” unless water scarcity is actively managed across major industrial clusters.
Commissioned by national water retailer Wave and produced by Durham University, the study finds that the additional water needed for blue and green hydrogen production and carbon capture could exceed 850–860 million litres per day by 2050, with pinch points emerging much sooner.
Analysing plans across the largest clusters in England, including Humberside, North West England, Tees Valley, the Solent and the Black Country, the research links project pipelines with regional water resource plans to forecast pressure points.
Activity around Humberside is projected to push the Anglian Water region into deficit by 2030, rising toward a shortfall of about 130 million litres per day by mid century.
Yorkshire faces a smaller but material risk later in the 2030s and 2040s.
In the North West, early hydrogen and carbon capture build out could create a deficit of around 70 million litres per day by 2030, although United Utilities’ interventions are expected to restore a surplus by the mid 2040s.
Current strategies suggest Northumbrian Water and Severn Trent are unlikely to move into shortfall if planned surpluses are delivered.
Water’s vital role
The study highlights process water as a critical input to net zero technologies.
Typical water needs scale rapidly when applied to gigawatt scale hydrogen production and multi megatonne capture programs, so siting and sequencing become as important as finance and permitting.
The authors call for immediate joint planning between developers, retailers and water companies to align project timelines with local resources.
They urge adoption of lower water process options, greater recycling and improved cooling, and propose regional water hubs that can share infrastructure, including coastal desalination where appropriate.
They also recommend dynamic monitoring so demand forecasts track real project progress, plus inter regional transfers from areas with projected surpluses.
With the Environment Agency already warning of national shortfalls by the 2050s, the message is clear.
Without integrated water planning, clean power, hydrogen and carbon capture projects could be delayed or downsized, raising costs and eroding confidence. Net zero will not happen if the pipes run dry.
Net zero plans could “run dry” without action on water appeared first on Energy Live News.