Cheshire West & Chester Council in the North West of England has approved plans by EET Hydrogen for the first large-scale, low-carbon hydrogen production plant (HPP1) in the UK, located at the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
Consisting of two plants (HPP1 and HPP2), the hydrogen hub will enable local industrial and power generation businesses to switch from fossil fuels to low carbon energy, according to EET.
This will help to reduce the North West’s carbon emissions by 2.5 million tonnes every year – the equivalent of taking 1.1 million cars off the roads, it added.
The hydrogen will be used locally by the Essar refinery and other major manufacturers in the region, including Tata Chemicals, Encirc and Pilkington to create the first low-carbon refining operations, glass and chemicals manufacturing sites in the world.
EET will develop the hydrogen hub in phases with the first plant (HPP1) at 350MW capacity, the second (HPP2) at 1,000MW capacity and an overall target capacity of 4,000MW+ by 2030.
The development is a key pillar of HyNet – the UK’s leading industrial decarbonisation cluster.
Construction is anticipated to start on HPP1 in 2024 with low carbon hydrogen produced at the site by 2027.
David Parkin, HyNet Project Director at Progressive Energy said: “We are delighted that HyNet’s low carbon hydrogen hub has been given the green light to begin construction. The plant will provide locally produced hydrogen to industry across the region, enabling them to switch their fuel to a low carbon alternative.
“Owned by EET Hydrogen and located at the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex, this will be the UK’s first large scale, low carbon hydrogen production facility, placing the North West region at the forefront of the UK’s journey towards net zero carbon emissions. The plant will support the creation of new jobs, safeguard existing roles and attract investment.”
UK’s first large scale hydrogen production plant approved
