First hydrogen power plant in the EU headed to UK refinery
July 22, 2024The plant is owned by Stanlow and will run on blue H2 once it is in production
Stanlow has announced that among the initiatives it has taken on for decarbonization is to open a combined heat and electricity hydrogen power plant.
The plant is slated to be completed in 2027
Stanlow’s decarbonization target involves slashing its emissions by 95 percent by 2030. This new hydrogen power plant is a notable part of that effort, according to the company in a statement. This plant is being built to provide both electricity and heat, and it will use H2 to generate both.
The company is at the core of a broader regional decarbonization strategy that is called Hynet. The cluster in the area is working to provide cleaner H2 to both industries throughout the region and the refinery itself.
The blue hydrogen power will involve carbon capture technology
The H2 used in the refinery for producing electricity and heat isn’t green. It is not produced using methods powered by renewable energy. Instead, it is going to be made using natural gas-powered methods. On its own, this would include this facility in the most commonly used method for H2 production, which produces greenhouse gas emissions due to its use of fossil fuels.
However, in this case, what will turn that gray H2 to blue H2 is the carbon capture technology that will be used to stop the vast majority of carbon emissions from escaping into the atmosphere.
Opening before the end of the decade
The current schedule for opening the plant and having it operating on H2 is an aim for 2028 or 2029. This, according to media reports following a statement from Managing Partner Tony Fountain.
Once the hydrogen plant is open, it will keep up the production of combined heat and electricity, while it will also remain an oil refinery as it is today. When it is fully operational, it will continue forward both with this cleaner form of energy and the oil refining at the same time.
The furnace for the crude processing will be hydrogen ready and will be the first part to be connected to H2 to reduce its energy in a substantially carbon emission reduced way. That connection is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2025.
The hydrogen power plant will operate on other types of fuel until the onsite H2 production facility begins its own operations.
With over 15 years of reporting hydrogen news, we are your premier source for the latest updates and insights in hydrogen and renewable energy.
Well Done Stanton! It is a misconception to believe that blue hydrogen will not play an important role in controlling climate warming. The transition to a hydrogen economy should not be sidelined by political fighting over which form of hydrogen will work best, blue or green. With carbon capture techniques in place blue hydrogen will make the transition faster to using green hydrogen worldwide. This transition will extend the life of rapidly depleting fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are needed in the future for more important consumer products and farming needs. Also, the carbon captured should be used to make graphene. Graphene will soon improve the energy transfer processes that are needed to produce and use green hydrogen cost effectively. Please see previous comments in Hydrogen Fuel News on the amazing properties of graphene and its many uses.
My apology – Well Done Stanlow!