PHILIP Dunne MP has welcomed a £90 million package from the government to tackle emissions from homes and heavy industry.

The Ludlow MP says £70 million will include funding for two of Europe’s first-ever low carbon hydrogen production plants - the first on the banks of the Mersey, the second planned for near Aberdeen. A third project will develop technology to harness offshore wind off the Grimsby coast to power electrolysis and produce hydrogen.

Then there will be £18.5 million of the funding that is being awarded to projects developing and trialling technologies to move industrial concrete and glass production away from fossil fuels and onto renewables.

The remaining £20 million will be used to fund projects aimed at cutting household emissions and bills through nine UK-wide local “smart energy” projects.

This funding precedes a Westminster Hall debate, called by Mr Dunne, on what more the UK needs to do to ensure energy efficient homes and workplaces, in order to meet the 2050 net zero carbon target.

“I am very pleased the government has committed £90m to tackling emissions, including funding for hydrogen plants,” said Mr Dunne, who chairs the Environment Audit Committee.

“Hydrogen energy production will become increasingly important as we move towards net zero, and by moving concrete and glass production towards renewables, we can help deliver homes and workplaces that help reduce carbon emission at every phase – design, build and occupancy.”

The concrete and glass projects have the potential to be scaled up and rolled out across industry, meaning houses and roads could be built using low-emission concrete by 2030.

This would prevent 3.2 million tonnes of CO2 a year from polluting the environment - equivalent to taking 679,000 cars off the road. Ludlow activists have been campaigning for action to avert climate change.