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Chester West and Chester Council have approved plans for a hydrogen hub, which aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions for manufacturers in the region.
The plans were put forward by EET Hydrogen, a joint venture between Essar Oil UK and hydrogen specialists Progressive Energy focused on blue and green hydrogen, ammonia and biofuels.
The new hub aims to help industry in the region transition to lower-carbon fuels. It will be located at the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. It will include two plants developed in phases: HHP1 will have 0.35GW of capacity and HHP2 will have 1GW. EET Hydrogen aims for the hub to exceed 4GW in capacity by 2030.
Hydrogen produced during the first phase of development is proposed for local use – local manufacturers include Essar Energy (which has a refinery in the area), Tata Chemicals and glass manufacturers Encirc and Pilkington. Hydrogen produced during the second phase is proposed for wider use via a future hydrogen distribution network.
This development is at the core of the HyNet North West project, which aims to establish hydrogen infrastructure across north Wales and the north-west of England. This is intended to help hard-to-abate industries reduce their carbon emissions using carbon capture and storage technology and low-carbon hydrogen.
The plans were approved by the Chester West and Chester Council planning committee at a meeting this week.
“This is the largest low-carbon hydrogen project in the UK, and one of the most advanced in the world,” said Richard Holden, HPP1 project manager at EET Hydrogen. “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.”
Holden said that the facility would capture over two million tonnes of carbon annually: the equivalent of removing more than one million cars from UK roads.
During the planning committee’s meeting, questions were raised over the environmental credentials of the project. Hydrogen can be produced by several methods. The vast majority of hydrogen produced today (around 95 per cent) is grey hydrogen, which is derived from fossil fuels. Blue hydrogen is derived from fossil fuels in combination with carbon capture and storage, although this does not capture all carbon emissions. Green hydrogen, which is produced by water electrolysis powered by renewables, is the only truly zero-carbon method.
This hub will produce blue hydrogen, which was described by councillor John Roach as a “dirty technology” that “offers no solution to the climate crisis”.
