Kellanova, owner of the Kellogg’s brand, has become the first UK food manufacturer to produce cereal using hydrogen after completing a government-funded fuel-switching demonstration at its Manchester factory.
The three-week trial, part of the HyNet Industrial Fuel Switching 2 programme, replaced fossil fuel gas with hydrogen to power the site’s toasting oven. The process successfully produced four well-known established brands in Western markets – Corn Flakes, Bran Flakes, Special K, and Rice Krispies – to highlight hydrogen’s potential as an alternative fuel in food manufacturing.
The demonstration was funded through the UK government’s £55m Industrial Fuel Switching Competition, part of the £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP). Kellanova, which owns the Kellogg’s brand following a 2023 rebrand, received £3m to explore hydrogen as a fuel alternative.
Kellanova has already cut direct and indirect (Scope 1 and 2) emissions in Europe by 54% and is targeting a 63% reduction by 2030. The hydrogen trial forms part of the company’s wider decarbonisation strategy.
Sam Bistiaux, Vice-President of Manufacturing at Kellanova, said the trial demonstrated the potential for hydrogen in food production.
“The production of our cereal using hydrogen is an exciting first for us…. It demonstrates the potential of investing in low-carbon fuels to drive decarbonisation,” he said.
The trial is part of wider efforts to test hydrogen’s role in high-heat industrial applications in the UK.
David Parkin, Chair of the HyNet Alliance, said trials such as this were important for encouraging wider industrial uptake of hydrogen.
“Having businesses like [Kellanova] taking part has been hugely valuable in paving the way for other food manufacturers to explore low-carbon fuel,” he said.
