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.
Richard Holden, HPP1 project manager at EET Hydrogen, said: “This is the largest low-carbon hydrogen project in the UK and one of the most advanced in the world. It is a vital piece of the North West’s journey to net zero, underpinning HyNet and providing the opportunity for manufacturers in the region to decarbonise their processes and support UK jobs.
“We have worked closely with regional stakeholders and are delighted to obtain this important approval for the project as we move from ambition to action.”
Green light given for “largest low-carbon hydrogen project in the UK”
