The Cheshire West & Chester Council has given the green light to EET Hydrogen’s plans for the first low carbon hydrogen production plant (HPP1) in the UK. This groundbreaking facility will be situated at the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
Comprising two plants, HPP1 and HPP2, the hydrogen hub aims to facilitate the transition of local industrial and power generation businesses from fossil fuels to low carbon energy. The anticipated impact is a substantial reduction in the North West’s carbon emissions by an impressive 2.5 million tonnes annually, equivalent to removing 1.1 million cars from the roads.
The produced hydrogen will be utilized locally by major entities such as the Essar refinery, Tata Chemicals, Encirc, and Pilkington, marking the inception of the world’s first low carbon refining operations, glass, and chemicals manufacturing sites. The EET Hydrogen hub is poised to bolster and expand crucial industries, generate employment opportunities, and unlock billions of pounds in related investments.
EET plans to execute the development of the hydrogen hub in stages, with the initial plant (HPP1) boasting a capacity of 350MW, followed by the second plant (HPP2) at 1,000MW. The ultimate goal is to achieve an overall capacity exceeding 4,000MW by 2030. These plants play a pivotal role in meeting the UK’s hydrogen and industrial decarbonization targets, contributing significantly to the development of essential hydrogen infrastructure.
This monumental undertaking is a cornerstone of HyNet, recognized as the UK’s foremost industrial decarbonization cluster. Construction for HPP1 is slated to commence in 2024, with low carbon hydrogen production expected on-site by 2027, says Richard Holden, Project Manager for HPP1 at EET Hydrogen.