Frequently asked questions

The Solent Cluster is a partnership bringing together private, public and non-governmental organisations who wish to collaborate to decarbonise the Solent region and beyond.

At its heart is a drive to support society’s ambition to achieve Net Zero by enabling decarbonisation projects to access potential investment support from the UK Government.

Together we are creating a hub of expertise and innovation that will enable the development of low carbon solutions.

Our plans include the development of a new hydrogen and lower carbon fuel facility to create sustainable fuels for businesses, as well as providing low carbon energy to heat homes, businesses and public buildings in our region and beyond. They also include the development of carbon capture, processing, and storage infrastructure to help businesses across our region decarbonise and achieve Net Zero.

Through collaboration and innovation, The Solent Cluster aims to attract and deliver inward investment in low carbon technology to create a more sustainable, growing economy for the benefit of local communities and the wider country.

We hope that the Solent Cluster will shine a spotlight on existing good practice, and enable new ideas and innovations to flourish.

Involvement in The Solent Cluster is open to all organisations that wish to collaborate in achieving Net Zero. Over 50 organisations have already signed up to support the formation of the cluster, spanning the public, private and higher education sectors. They include port, shipping and airport operators, aerospace, manufacturing and logistics companies, an international energy company with proven expertise in hydrogen and carbon capture and storage technologies, as well as local councils, universities and other stakeholders working towards a lower carbon future.

The launch of the Solent Cluster has been funded by industry. Its ongoing funding is expected to be through a mix of private sector and government funding.

The governance framework for the Solent Cluster will be established by the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership and other members of The Solent Cluster. As with existing decarbonisation clusters industry leadership within the governance will be central.

Organisations wishing to be involved in The Solent Cluster are asked to sign up to the cluster’s Charter, which supports a shared commitment to work together for a lower carbon future for the Solent region and beyond. If you are interested in becoming a member of The Solent Cluster please contact us for more information.

Industry has and will continue to play a significant role in the development of The Solent Cluster. You will find more information on all our members.

The Solent Cluster spans the whole Solent area and the wider South of England. Anyone involved in delivering low or zero carbon projects is welcome to play a part. The hydrogen production facility at Fawley will be an anchor project, helping to facilitate the decarbonisation of business and other organisations, but we expect many more projects, bringing together a diverse range of technical solutions, to become involved in the months and years ahead.

A new production facility would provide a reliable and cost-effective source of hydrogen for use across a range of industry as well as the potential to provide heat in homes across the Solent region. Incorporating a CCS capability will also enable the capture and storage of emissions not only from the site itself but from other industries who do not possess this ability.

The hydrogen produced at the Fawley site will initially be blue hydrogen. We need both blue and green hydrogen to decarbonise our country at the pace needed to achieve the Net Zero target. Currently, blue hydrogen – manufactured from natural gas with associated CO² emissions captured and stored – is the quickest and most cost-effective way of meeting that target. The technology and infrastructure to develop blue hydrogen exists in the Solent region today, and companies are actively developing several green H2 (hydrogen) projects within the Solent region.

As these technologies develop both will have a role in delivering secure and cost-effective supplies for the Solent and beyond.

A core objective of The Solent Cluster is to attract investment in future technologies to secure existing jobs and livelihoods and bring new jobs for the benefit of our local community and the wider region. New highly skilled jobs and training opportunities will be created as new projects and facilities come online.

Many organisations are already working on projects to decarbonise their operations or local areas. We want to work collaboratively with all like-minded organisations for the benefit of the Solent, its businesses and communities, bringing people together to share experiences, innovate and find new ways to deliver a lower carbon future. Importantly, The Solent Cluster will work to ensure that our region can access available central government funding, so that we can benefit fully – economically and socially – from the opportunities that a lower carbon future offers.

By forming a cluster, it enables participating organisations to seek investment support via the UK Government’s Cluster Sequencing Programme. This is designed to help organisations introduce the required technology where markets may still be in development.