At Essar's location in Ellesmere Port, the hub of the HyNet North West cluster, Vertex Hydrogen is creating the UK's first large-scale, low carbon hydrogen production hub.
Vertex has now agreed to offer more than 1,000MW of low carbon hydrogen to eminent regional industrial companies. Such amounts of energy can ensure Vertex's whole initial hydrogen production capacity, power a large metropolis like Liverpool, and enable crucial hydrogen infrastructure investments in the area. This accomplishment highlights Vertex's position as the UK's biggest and most technologically advanced low carbon hydrogen centre.
Over 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 will be captured annually and stored by the HyNet project to eliminate more than 10% of the region's industrial emissions, which is the same as removing 750,000 automobiles from the road. In order to secure and expand essential jobs in the area, nearly 2 billion pounds will be invested directly in the hydrogen plant and related regional hydrogen transport and storage infrastructure.
Global companies doing business in the area are driving the demand for hydrogen because they want to replace their present high-carbon fuels with low-carbon hydrogen in order to pioneer a number of important industries. These customers significantly contribute both directly and indirectly to the 340,000 individuals working in manufacturing in the North West. Innovations in the glass, cement, and sustainable aviation fuels are also included.
Encirc's managing director, Adrian Curry, stated: "We hope to produce Net Zero bottles by 2030, and this relationship with Vertex Hydrogen will help us transform the way that glass is perceived. Glass is a fantastic material that is quite sustainable. We think it will continue to be the preferred packaging material for decades to come because it has been used since 3500 BC and can be decarbonized using hydrogen." Essar Oil UK's CEO, Deepak Maheshwari, added: "This offtake deal, together with our other efforts, serves as another illustration of how we are taking decisive action to achieve our strategic objectives. We take great pride in setting the standard for industrial decarbonization in the area and across the whole of the UK." Tata Chemicals Europe's managing
director, Martin Ashcroft, said: "We have backed Vertex and the low-carbon hydrogen market because we see them as a real chance to further cut emissions at our top-notch CHP facility. As we continue on our path as a pioneer in industrial decarbonization, this agreement represents the next stage in our collaboration."
Pilkington United Kingdom Limited's Neil Syder, the managing director, stated: "Our NSG Group goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 has our complete support. Our plan to cut carbon emissions includes using hydrogen instead of natural gas to fire the float glass furnace."
Fulcrum BioEnergy's Managing Director, Jeff Ovens, stated: "We are collaborating closely with Vertex to supply low carbon hydrogen for our Fulcrum NorthPoint SAF facility in Ellesmere Port since we are a leader in developing waste-based sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). The use of low carbon hydrogen in our SAF production method will increase the overall net CO2 reduction advantages of Fulcrum's fuel. SAF is the only practical way to decarbonize aviation."
"Access to reliable sources of low carbon energy is very crucial to our Net Zero goals," said John Lewis MBE, managing director of SOG Group. The contract we've just signed with Vertex Hydrogen guarantees that all of the energy used in the Heath Park project will ultimately be low carbon energy. I see this as a historic deal that will allow us to create in the North-West a community and economic climate that is unmatched globally and will benefit future generations.
Carbon Reduction Manager for Carrington Power, ESB, Mo Moussaoui, stated: "We are reducing our generation fleet's carbon intensity in accordance with our Net Zero to 2040 strategy. We are excited to collaborate with Vertex Hydrogen to decarbonize our Carrington facility and reap the many advantages that will result from that."
Director of Hydrogen Operations at Cadent, Darren Elsom, stated: "We enthusiastically applaud Vertex's statement that it has signed contracts for more than 1000MW of low-carbon hydrogen, which represents a significant step in decarbonizing industry in the North West. For the sake of our clients and the communities we serve, Cadent is still devoted to building the pipeline infrastructure necessary to link and deliver hydrogen to industry."
"Ingevity is happy to join with HyNet Northwest and Vertex as we work towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions related with the manufacture of our Caprolactone series of speciality chemicals at our plant in Warrington," says Paul Shelley, site manager at Ingevity in Warrington.
Vertex Hydrogen CEO Joe Seifert stated, "We have always stated that Vertex is demand-led from prominent industrial firms and we have now signed commitments for over 1000MW of hydrogen - our full planned production capacity from the earliest phases of our project. This accomplishment greatly boosts our confidence in the project's economics and the future need for low carbon hydrogen.
Essar employee Prashant Ruia said: "A crucial element in completing this world-class project is securing over 1000MW of low carbon hydrogen demand from premier UK industrial locations and innovators. Leveraging our infrastructure, knowledge, resources, and desire to be a global leader in decarbonization, Essar continues to invest in a variety of projects that are at the forefront of their respective industries, such as infrastructure, biofuels, industrial decarbonization, and hydrogen production." Essar and Progressive Energy have partnered on Vertex Hydrogen Ltd.
