A new power plant on the outskirts of Ellesmere Port is planned to be completed in the next three years.
Essar Energy Transition (EET) has announced the launch of EET Hydrogen Power, Europe’s first hydrogen-ready combined heat and power plant (CHP), to be built at its Stanlow refinery, with the aim of completing construction in 2027.
The investment will support EET Fuels’ ambition to become the lowest carbon process refinery globally, and EET Hydrogen’s ambition to become the leading low carbon hydrogen producer in the UK.
The firm says it will also provide low carbon power to other industrial users in the region to support their decarbonisation targets. EET Hydrogen Power will become an independent vertical under EET.
EET Hydrogen Power will be developed over two phases to reach a capacity of 125MW of power with 6,000 tonnes per day of steam, with the hydrogen replacing hydrocarbons delivering a reduction of 740,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.
The new plant will replace Stanlow’s existing boiler units, which currently generate approximately 50MW of power for the refinery operations. The plant is integral to the decarbonisation of operations at EET Fuels’ Stanlow refinery, which plans to cut total emissions by 95 per cent by 2030, to become the world’s lowest carbon refinery.
An artist's impression of what the EET Hydrogen Power site would look like at Stanlow.
EET Hydrogen Power is a key infrastructure project, supporting the decarbonisation plans of the wider HyNet industrial cluster as well as forming a blueprint for future industrial and power decarbonisation. The investment will, EET added, support further high skilled employment in the North West.
The investment into building Europe’s first hydrogen ready power plant is a key part of EET’s overall $3 billion of energy transition initiatives in the North West of England.
EET includes EET Hydrogen Power, EET Fuels (owner of the Stanlow Refinery), EET Hydrogen, (developing 1.35+ gigawatt (GW) of blue and green hydrogen capacity for the UK market, with follow-on capacity ambition of 4GW) and Stanlow Terminals Ltd, the UK’s largest independent bulk liquid storage terminal (developing enabling transport and storage infrastructure for biofuels and new energies).
Tony Fountain, managing partner of Essar Energy Transition, said: “Launching EET Hydrogen Power shows the progress that Essar Energy Transition is making in delivering against its commitment to put the UK at the forefront of low carbon energy.
"EET Hydrogen Power helps bring this commitment to life and demonstrates our intention to globally showcase the pathway to decarbonising vital high emitting industries.”
Rob Wallace, CEO of EET Hydrogen Power, added: “We have bold ambitions for Stanlow to become a low carbon transition hub at the centre of the HyNet Industrial Cluster.
"EET Hydrogen Power will be Europe’s first 100 per cent hydrogen-ready gas-turbine plant which will be supplied with EET Hydrogen’s low carbon hydrogen.
"This project will create significant benefit by contributing to regional emissions’ reductions targets.”
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