Key Impact Points:
• Kimberly-Clark becomes first UK consumer goods firm to sign long-term green hydrogen deals
• Over £125M ($165M) invested to build green hydrogen plants at two UK manufacturing sites
• Initiative aims to cut natural gas use by 50% and reduce CO₂ emissions by 28,500 tonnes annually by 2027
Kimberly-Clark Pioneers Green Hydrogen in UK Consumer Manufacturing
Kimberly-Clark UK & Ireland, the maker of Andrex® and Kleenex®, is investing over £125 million (US$165 million) in green hydrogen infrastructure to power its Kent and Cumbria factories — becoming the first UK consumer products company to sign long-term offtake agreements for the clean fuel.
The move will cut natural gas use in steam generation at its Northfleet and Barrow-in-Furness facilities by 50% starting in 2027, enabling a projected 28,500 tonnes reduction in CO₂ emissions annually. That’s equivalent to removing 20,000 petrol cars from UK roads.
“Now is the right time for us to tap into [green] hydrogen’s significant potential,” said Dan Howell, VP & MD at Kimberly-Clark UK & Ireland. “We are delighted to be the first UK consumer goods manufacturer to really embrace green hydrogen… and adopt it at scale.”
Green Hydrogen Facilities to Power 1 Billion Toilet Rolls and 150 Million Tissue Boxes
The hydrogen projects will be delivered through partnerships with Carlton Power and HYRO, a joint venture between Octopus Energy Generation and RES. Each facility will be built directly at the manufacturing sites:
- Barrow-in-Furness: 100 GWh green hydrogen annually
- Northfleet (Kent): 47 GWh green hydrogen annually
“Green hydrogen, created using British low carbon energy, will revolutionise how we power industry,” said Lucy Whitford, Managing Director UK & I at RES.
Backed by UK Government’s Hydrogen Rollout
The projects were selected under the UK Government’s Hydrogen Allocation Round One (HAR1), with support through the Hydrogen Production Business Model and Net Zero Hydrogen Fund. Both facilities have secured local planning approvals — Barrow in June 2023 and Northfleet in August 2024.
“This government is rolling out hydrogen at scale for the first time… with ten shovel-ready projects powering businesses from Teesside to Devon,” said Sarah Jones, UK Minister for Industry.
“This is an exciting milestone for HYRO and for green hydrogen in the UK’s industrial sector,” added Alex Brierley, co-head of Octopus Energy Generation’s fund management team. “Kimberly-Clark has been a pioneer in this space.”
Scaling Impact Through Renewable Energy and Industrial Innovation
The initiative supports Kimberly-Clark’s UK target to reduce operational GHG emissions by over 80% by 2027, compared to 2015 levels. Globally, the company aims to halve absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.
The hydrogen projects build on its 2023 £75 million onshore wind farm partnership in Scotland, also managed by Octopus Energy and RES, which now supplies clean power to its UK operations.
“Kimberly-Clark’s commitment to using green hydrogen… shows great ambition and leadership,” said Keith Clarke, CEO of Carlton Power. “Our Barrow facility will be the first in a series of projects supporting UK industry’s transition from fossil fuels.”
The move positions Kimberly-Clark as a frontrunner in decarbonizing the hard-to-electrify manufacturing sector and demonstrates the potential of green hydrogen to support the UK’s clean industrial future.
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