INEOS has appointed Atkins to design a “world-scale” clean hydrogen plant adjacent to its new Grangemouth power plant. The plans will help it to convert the plant to burn clean hydrogen fuel as it transitions into a net zero carbon company by 2045, with planned reductions of 60% by 2030.
INEOS has appointed Atkins to design a new hydrogen plant, scheduled for completion in 2030. Once completed, the facility will enable INEOS to remove more than one million tonnes of carbon emissions from activities at Grangemouth, an industrial site it bought in 2005.
Fundamental to INEOS’ hydrogen project will be access to the Scottish Cluster carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure that will enable any CO2 from the hydrogen plant to be sent directly offshore to be permanently and safely stored in rock formations deep below the North Sea.
Scotland’s net zero and energy secretary Michael Matheson explained: “Scotland has the resources, the people and the ambition to become a world leader in hydrogen production – for both domestic use and for export to Europe. It will play an increasingly important role in supporting our just transition to a net zero economy and deliver good, green jobs for our highly skilled workforces. Low-carbon hydrogen meanwhile offers a route for our critical industrial sector to decarbonise, and I welcome this latest step in INEOS’ road map to cut emissions, and their continued investment into the sustainability of our largest manufacturing site.
Colin Pritchard, INEOS’ sustainability director at Grangemouth said, “The construction of our hydrogen plant is a vital component of our sustainability road map, underpinning plans for net zero manufacturing operations at Grangemouth. We will displace hydrocarbon-based fuels in our processes with clean low-carbon hydrogen and establish a hydrogen hub to enable others to benefit and reduce their emissions too. Alongside our support and active involvement in the Forth Green Freeport bid and the Scottish Cluster project, INEOS is at the forefront of actions and investments to reduce emissions in Central Scotland.”
David Cole, market director for net zero energy at Atkins SNC Lavalin, said: “Hydrogen has the potential to play an important role in industrial decarbonisation: our team has global experience in the technology and we look forward to working with INEOS to bring this element of their net zero road map closer to realisation.”
Development of large scale hydrogen plants have drawn investment in recent years as a fuel with significant potential to replace fossil fuels in industries that may struggle to switch to renewable electricity, like steel manufacture or shipping.
