UK glassmaker Encirc welcomes the approved plans for the first large scale hydrogen production facility and carbon capture plant in the UK.
Encirc Managing Director Sean Murphy (pictured above)
has welcomed the approved plans for the facility, which will supply low carbon hydrogen to Encirc’s Elton factory in the UK.
Mr Murphy said the decision is another step closer to making the decarbonisation of its furnaces a reality.
Councillors on the planning committee at Cheshire West and Cheshire Council approved the development yesterday (Tuesday), which is located at the Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, UK.
Mr Murphy said: “This is another important milestone in bringing low carbon hydrogen to the North West. At Encirc, we’re looking forward to ensuring glass is the most sustainable packaging of choice for generations to come. With access to low carbon hydrogen, we can decarbonise our furnaces and make that future a reality.”
EET Hydrogen is behind the proposal. They revealed in September 2023 that engineering and design work had started on the project.
Encirc has supported the project since its inception three years ago.
It forms part of the wider HyNet hydrogen project, which aims to create a low carbon future across the North West of the UK.
The facility will eventually supply up to 1,000MW of hydrogen to glass manufacturers Encirc and Pilkington, as well as soda ash producer Tata Chemicals.
It is estimated that the hydrogen hub will enable local industrial and power generation businesses to switch from fossil fuels to low carbon energy.
This will help to reduce the North West’s carbon emissions by 2.5 million tonnes every year – the equivalent of taking 1.1 million cars off the roads.
