MUMBAI, Vertex Hydrogen (“Vertex”), a leader in energy transition, has developed the UK’s first large-scale, low carbon hydrogen production facility at Essar’s Ellesmere Port site – at the heart of the Hynet North West cluster. Vertex Hydrogen signs agreements to supply over 1,000MW of hydrogen to decarbonise leading UK industries
Vertex has now signed agreements to supply 1,000 MW of low carbon hydrogen to industry leading companies in the region. This amount of energy is equivalent to the energy needs of large cities such as Liverpool, which is Vertex’s full initial hydrogen production capacity and enables investment in significant hydrogen infrastructure in the area. This landmark achievement makes Vertex the largest and most advanced low carbon hydrogen center in the UK.
The project will sequester 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) stored by the Hynet project to reduce industrial emissions in the area by more than 10 per cent – equivalent to the emissions of 750,000 cars off the road.
The project will directly invest over £2 billion in hydrogen transport and storage infrastructure at the hydrogen plant and the surrounding area – creating and increasing much-needed jobs in the area.
Demand for hydrogen has come from international businesses operating in the area, who are keen to undertake the first low carbon operations in several key sectors, transitioning from their current high carbon emitting fuels to low carbon hydrogen. These consumers directly and indirectly employ 340,000 people in manufacturing in the North West. It also includes innovators in environmentally friendly aviation fuels, glass and cement industries.
Adrian Curry, Managing Director of Ensarc, said: “This association with Vertex Hydrogen will help us transform the glass industry, as we aim to produce net zero bottles by 2030. Glass is an essential material and is sustainable in many ways. This e. S. has existed since 3500 BC and we believe that using hydrogen to decarbonize it will be the packaging choice for centuries to come.”
Deepak Maheshwari, CEO of Essar Oil UK, added: “Our offtake agreement and our other initiatives are a continuing example of our clear performance in delivering on our strategic objectives. We are proud to be a leader in industrial decarbonisation in the region and in the UK in particular.”
Martin Ashcroft, managing director, Tata Chemicals Europe, said: “We continue to support Vertex and see the low carbon hydrogen segment as a real opportunity to further reduce emissions levels at our world-class CHP facility. This agreement signifies the next steps in our relationship, as we continue our journey as leaders in industrial decarbonisation.”
Neil Seider, Managing Director of Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, said: “We are fully committed to our NSG Group’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Combustion using float glass furnaces using hydrogen instead of natural gas is an important part of our strategy to reduce carbon emissions.”
