Introduction to Keadby Next Generation – capturing the potential of the Humber with hydrogen-enabled flexible power

The DCO has now been submitted for the project, you can view any of the planning documents direct on the Planning Inspectorate website here.

Environmental Statement Documents can be found on the left hand side of the page following the link above.

Project information can be found on the PINS website here.

Register to have your say and make a relevant representation here.

Preliminary Meeting and Examination Hearing information

KEADBY NEXT GENERATION POWER STATION PROJECT

PLANNING ACT 2008 SECTIONS 91 AND 92

The infrastructure planning (Examination procedure) rules 2010 – RULE 13(6)

APPLICATION BY KEADBY NEXT GENERATION LIMITED FOR AN ORDER GRANTING DEVELOPMENT CONSENT FOR THE KEADBY NEXT GENERATION POWER STATION PROJECT (application reference: EN0110001)

Notice is hereby given that at the dates, times and locations set out below, the Preliminary Meeting, Issue Specific Hearing 1 and Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 1 will be held by the Examining Authority, appointed by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (SoS), for the examination of the application made by Keadby Next Generation Limited (company number 15866301) of One Forbury Place, 43 Forbury Road, Reading RG1 3JH (the Applicant) for a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Keadby Next Generation Power Station Project (the Application).

The Application is for the construction, operation and maintenance of a new combined cycle gas turbine ('CCGT') electricity generating station on land at, and in the vicinity of, the existing Keadby Power Station, Trent Side, Keadby, Scunthorpe DN17 3EF (‘the Site’) as illustrated in the Site Location Plan submitted with the Application – which can be accessed via the Project Page of the National Infrastructure Planning website (see below for website address).

The Proposed Development falls within the definition of a ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (‘NSIP’)’ under the Planning Act 2008 (‘PA 2008’), as it is an onshore generating station in England that would have a generating capacity greater than 50MW. As such, a DCO is required to authorise the Proposed Development in accordance with Section 31 of the PA 2008.

The DCO, if made by the SoS, would be known as ‘The Keadby Next Generation Power Station Order'. The DCO would authorise the compulsory acquisition of land, interests in land and rights over land, and the powers to use land permanently and temporarily, as needed to implement the Proposed Development.

The Application was accepted on 22 September 2025 and has been given the Planning Inspectorate reference number EN0110001.

Preliminary Meeting and Hearings

The preliminary meeting and hearings will be held virtually (using Microsoft Teams). The dates and times of the hearings are set out below.

Tuesday 20 January 2026 Preliminary Meeting

Registration process from: 9:30am Meeting starts: 10:00am

This hearing will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams. Full instructions on how to join online or by telephone will be provided in advance to those who have pre-registered.

Wednesday 21 January 2026 Issue Specific Hearing 1 into Environmental Matters and the draft Development Consent Order (dDCO)

Registration process from: 9:30am Hearing starts: 10:00am

This hearing will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams. Full instructions on how to join online or by telephone will be provided in advance to those who have pre-registered.

Thursday 22 January 2026 Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 1 into the applicant’s strategic case for compulsory acquisition and temporary possession

Registration process from: 9:30am Hearing starts: 10:00am

This hearing will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams. Full instructions on how to join online or by telephone will be provided in advance to those who have pre-registered.

NOTE: If any of the above hearings are no longer required then notification that a particular date is no longer required will be published as soon as practicable on the project webpage, providing reasonable notice to interested parties of the decision to cancel them.

To participate, please complete the event participation form by Wednesday 14 January 2026.

To observe the preliminary meeting you do not need to register as you will be able to watch a livestream of the event. A link to the livestream will be made available on the project webpage shortly before the event is scheduled to begin. You will also be able to watch the recording of the event which will be published on the project webpage shortly after the event has finished. Please contact the Case Team using the contact details within this notice if you require any support or assistance to attend any of the hearings

The full information on the hearings, including how and when to register to attend and speak at the preliminary meeting and/or hearings, is available on the Project Page of the Planning Inspectorate’s National Infrastructure Planning website or by contacting the Planning Inspectorate Case Team via the details below (the Planning Inspectorate reference for the Application (EN0110001) should be quoted in any correspondence). Please note that the deadline to register your attendance at the hearings is 23:59hrs on Wednesday 14 January 2026.

The Project Page of the National Infrastructure Planning website is:
https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN0110001

The Planning Inspectorate Case Team is contactable via e-mail:
Keadbynextgeneration@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

or telephone: 0303 444 5000

or via post:

Planning Inspectorate

c/o QUADIENT, 69 Buckingham Avenue, Slough, SL1 4PN

Please quote the Application reference number EN0110001 in any correspondence with the Planning Inspectorate about this DCO. Correspondence about this DCO should be marked: FAO Keadby Next Generation Power Station.

A link to the livestream of the hearings, for those who wish to watch but not speak, will be published beforehand on the Project Page of the Planning Inspectorate’s National Infrastructure Planning website, along with a full digital recording as soon as practicably possible after the relevant hearing has closed.

Any hearings further to those listed above will be advertised by one or more further notices as required by the Planning Inspectorate and the Infrastructure Planning (Examination Procedure) Rules 2010.

All Application documents and representations submitted to the Examination, including the Environmental Statement, are available to inspect free of charge on the Project Page of the Planning Inspectorate’s National Infrastructure Planning website under the 'Documents' tab. They can also be accessed via the Applicant’s website www.keadbynextgen.com/library.

For enquiries relating to the Application Documents, and if you require alternative methods for inspecting the Application Documents, please email: keadbydevelopments@aecom.com, telephone: 01202 043652 (24hr voicemail service), or send a letter to: FREEPOST KNG POWER STATION CONSULTATION. Any details you provide to us will be subject to our Privacy Policy (at www.keadbynextgen.com/privacy). If requested, you will be provided with a paper copy of the Application Guide free of charge (all other Application Documents, including plans, reports, and any chapters, appendices and plans from the full ES, will be charged based on page count up to a maximum of £5,000). For any bespoke or specific requests (for example in large print, audio or braille formats) please contact the Applicant using the contact details above.

Should any interested party not have access to the internet, instructions on how to access the application documents can be found with the public computers at Scunthorpe Public Library and Crowle Community Hub. These venues are open at the times set out below and there is no charge for using their computers.

Scunthorpe Central Library

Scunthorpe Central, Carlton Street, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire DN15 6TX

Monday to Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm
Sunday and bank holidays CLOSED

Crowle Community Hub

The Market Hall, Market Place, Crowle, Scunthorpe DN17 4LA

Monday to Friday 9:00am-12.30pm

Saturday 9:00am-12:00pm

Sunday and bank holidays CLOSED

Keadby Next Generation Power Station is a new type of power station being proposed for development in North Lincolnshire, providing hydrogen-enabled flexible power. 

 Keadby Next Generation planning application accepted by Planning Inspectorate – landmark first for a hydrogen power project 

• First time a power station designed to run on hydrogen, as well as natural gas, has reached this stage in the DCO process 

• Project could support the decarbonisation of carbon-intensive sectors, safeguard existing jobs and drive investment in the region 

Plans for what could be one of the world’s first hydrogen fired power stations have moved forward after the proposals were accepted for consideration by UK Government’s Planning Inspectorate. 

SSE and Equinor submitted the Development Consent Order (DCO) for Keadby Next Generation, located to the south of the Humber estuary in North Lincolnshire, in August, after consultation with local authorities, communities and other stakeholders. 

The proposal has been accepted and will now enter the examination process, with the final decision sitting with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.  

It is the first time a power station designed to run on hydrogen, as well as natural gas, has reached this stage in the DCO process.  

The 900MW station could be operational from 2030 – providing crucial new reliable, efficient capacity to bolster security of supply by providing back-up generation in a renewables-led electricity system. 

It is being designed to run on hydrogen to support the UK’s long-term decarbonisation, as a low carbon alternative to natural gas. It would also be able to operate using natural gas or a blend of hydrogen and natural gas until a technically and commercially viable hydrogen supply becomes available to the site. 

Access to secure supplies of low-carbon hydrogen will be essential to delivering a 100% hydrogen-fired power station. Keadby Next Generation is strategically located close to planned production, storage and transport infrastructure in the Humber. 

It could play a key role in underpinning an initial network, supporting the decarbonisation of carbon-intensive sectors while safeguarding existing jobs and driving inward investment in the region. During construction, around 800 full time jobs would be created from the site and supply chain, benefiting the local area.  

SSE’s Keadby site has been at the heart of the UK’s energy system for nearly 75 years. Formerly the site of a coal-fired power station, it now hosts Keadby 2 - Europe’s most efficient gas-fired power station - England’s largest onshore wind farm and has planning consent for a new power station with Carbon Capture and Storage, also in partnership with Equinor.  

As part of its commitment to decarbonise power generation, SSE is also developing hydrogen production and storage projects and investing in a multi-million-pound partnership – Mission H2 Power – with Siemens Energy to deliver gas turbine technology capable of running on 100% hydrogen by 2030. 

Kelly De Azevedo Dent, Director of Development for SSE Thermal, said:  

“Reaching this milestone with the Keadby Next Generation Power Station project marks a significant step forward in delivering what could be one of the world’s first hydrogen fired power stations. 

“SSE is leading the way in creating a tangible future for hydrogen as a key part of a clean power system. 

“Keadby Next Generation can play a pivotal role in decarbonising power generation, while driving the green industrial revolution in the Humber—bringing major investment to the region, while creating and safeguarding high-quality local jobs.” 

Jalal Fahadi, Vice President for Low Carbon Thermal Power at Equinor, said:  

“This is an important moment for the hydrogen to power sector, for the UK’s role in decarbonised power, and for Equinor’s ambitions in low carbon energy. We believe that hydrogen will play a central role in the energy transition, tackling emissions in the UK’s industrial heartlands whilst also driving economic growth and creating local opportunities.”  

To achieve the UK’s ambitious target to cut national carbon emissions to Net Zero by 2050, the way energy is generated and used needs to change.  And while renewable energy sources such as wind and solar will have a big part to play, we will also need decarbonised, flexible power generation to respond to market needs and ensure security of energy supply when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. 

This is why, together, Equinor and SSE Thermal are developing Keadby Next Generation Power Station to provide hydrogen-enabled flexible power to the UK, as well as four other low-carbon projects in the UK currently. All these projects have one thing in common: they all focus on providing vital flexibility to the energy system. 

The project would help secure the UK’s energy security, generating up to 910 MW and helping achieve long-term decarbonisation goals. 

Hydrogen-enabled flexible power generation that supports variable renewable power production, ensuring reliable access to electricity for the UK. 

SSE Thermal and Equinor are proposing to develop and operate a new hydrogen-enabled power station, called Keadby Next Generation Power Station, at the existing SSE Keadby site in North Lincolnshire.  

Keadby Next Generation Power Station is being designed so that it can run on hydrogen, natural gas or a blend of the two. It would form the start of the next generation of development on the Keadby site and is ideally located to connect into emerging proposals for a hydrogen network within the Humber area, which is being developed as part of the East Coast Hydrogen Project and Project Union.  

It would help create a clean power hub in the region, preserve local jobs and create new ones, while supporting skills, apprenticeships, and educational opportunities across the region. 

As the hydrogen fuel supply required for 100% hydrogen operation may not be available from the start of operations, Keadby Next Generation Power Station would also be able to operate using natural gas until a technically and commercially viable hydrogen supply becomes available to the site. 

What is the difference between Keadby 3 CCS and Keadby Next Generation Power Station? 

Keadby 3 Carbon Capture and Storage Power Station and the Keadby Next Generation Power Station are two different projects, which are in many ways trying to achieve similar decarbonisation outcomes.  

SSE’s ambition is to be ready to develop a low carbon power station in Keadby as soon as possible.  There are two clear decarbonisation pathways for power stations – carbon capture and hydrogen. 

SSE were granted a Development Consent Order (DCO) for Keadby 3 Carbon Capture Power Station project (Keadby 3 CCS) by the Secretary of State in December 2022. Keadby 3 would use natural gas as its fuel and be fitted with a carbon capture plant to remove carbon dioxide from its emissions. It would be reliant on access to CO2 transport and storage infrastructure. 

The development of Keadby Next Generation Power Station is an alternative to the consented Keadby 3 CCS and would be located on the same site. By getting development consent for both options in parallel (Keadby 3 CCS and Keadby Next Generation Power Station), SSE can be ready to deliver the decarbonisation option that becomes commercially available first. 

This flexibility ensures SSE can continue to deliver reliable power to the national grid at Keadby, securing low-carbon electricity supply as we transition towards a Net Zero future.