Essar and Progressive Energy join forces to deliver the UK’s first low carbon hydrogen production hub

Essar, which operates one of the leading downstream energy businesses in the UK, and Progressive Energy, developers of HyNet North West, the UK’s leading industrial decarbonisation cluster, have joined forces to set up a venture to produce low carbon hydrogen at Essar’s Stanlow Refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

The joint venture will manufacture hydrogen at the refinery for use across the HyNet region. It will provide Essar Oil UK with low carbon hydrogen to decarbonise its own energy demand in addition to creating a hydrogen economy across North West England and North East Wales.

Natural gas, and fuel gases from the refinery, will be converted into low carbon hydrogen, with carbon dioxide safely captured and stored offshore in sub-surface reservoirs in Liverpool Bay.

The hydrogen production hub will deliver clean energy to industry in the HyNet ‘low carbon cluster’, as well as to fuel buses, trains and heavy goods vehicles, to heat our homes, and to generate electricity when the sun is not shining or the wind blowing.