The projects cover Vertex Hydrogen, Hanson’s Padeswood Cement Plant, Viridor’s Runcorn Energy Recovery Facility, Covanta’s Protos Energy Recovery Facility, Essar’s Stanlow Manufacturing Complex and Buxton Lime Net Zero.
The news follows HyNet’s selection by Government, in October 2021, to fast-track the decarbonisation of the industrial cluster located across North West England and North Wales, which was Phase-1 of the Track 1 cluster sequencing process. The hydrogen hub is targeting 350MW of low carbon hydrogen capacity by 2025, rising to 30TWh a year by 2030 – and it also aims to store 10mn tonnes of carbon dioxide each year by the end of the decade.
The latest announcement confirms which individual plants within HyNet will receive support from Government as part of Phase-2 of the cluster sequencing process.
This news will result in HyNet capturing over 3mn tonnes per year of carbon from energy intensive industry, producing 1GW of low carbon hydrogen, supporting 6,000 new roles, as well as helping to safeguard the 340,000 existing manufacturing jobs in the region.
David Parkin, HyNet Project Director said, “This will give the North West the opportunity to produce the UK’s first zero carbon cement, and to abate emissions from the UK’s largest Energy from Waste facility. The hydrogen produced from Vertex will allow vital industries such as chemicals, food and drink, paper and metal production to fully decarbonise, retaining and creating new high value manufacturing jobs.”
Essar and Progressive Energy announced in January the formation of Vertex Hydrogen to provide a catalyst for the development of a hydrogen economy across North West England and North Wales. Hydrogen at the site will be produced from waste fuel gas from Essar Standlow, as well as natural gas, which will be converted by Vertex Hydrogen into hydrogen, with carbon dioxide captured and stored underground offshore in Liverpool Bay.
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