A 拢180 million new green hydrogen production plant has been proposed for the Humber.
Saltend Chemicals Park has been selected for a first 海角视频 site by Meld Energy, adding to a cluster of projects being brought forward in the region for cleaner fuel development on the road to Net Zero.
Initially proposed with a 100MW capacity, it could scale up to double that - with investment potentially hitting 拢240 million. An initial operational team of nine is eyed, supported by contractors, with hundreds of roles in development and construction.
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Meld, a British start-up with strong US backing, is currently bidding for development support from the 海角视频鈥檚 Net Zero Hydrogen Fund. It has emerged as it was during Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ongoing visit to the States. He is seeking to establish a business alliance improving economic security.
Should it be successful in Whitehall, front end engineering design is expected to begin in November, running concurrently with a planning application. If approved building would begin within the year, with a target operation in early 2027.
Chris Smith, chief executive and founder of Meld Energy, said: 鈥淪altend Chemicals Park is the perfect site for our green hydrogen facility. Saltend has a rich knowledge of decarbonisation projects and, importantly, has future users of the hydrogen to be produced already in place.鈥
The former GE director added: 鈥淭his project can be online within four years and would deliver an immediate reduction in emissions once production commences. The facility will have the potential to double its production as demand for hydrogen increases in the future to meet Net Zero targets.鈥
The company secured a 50 per cent equity backing from US Fortune 500 global energy management company World Fuel Services Corporation late last year, via its subsidiary World Kinect Sustainability Ventures. They are working on hydrogen supply chains.
If built today it would be the largest green hydrogen production plant in the 海角视频, with electrolysis as the chosen method. Electricity, bought from renewable power generators under agreements, would be used to split water into its constituent elements, hydrogen and oxygen.
PX Group chief executive Geoff Holmes said: 鈥淢eld Energy鈥檚 decision to invest at Saltend Chemicals Park proves once again that Saltend is the go-to location for industrial decarbonisation and the 海角视频 energy transition.
鈥淢eld鈥檚 plans are on a scale that will make a significant impact on domestic decarbonisation - it is a project that the government should find impossible to ignore.
鈥淲e have a host of world-class industrial companies on site at Saltend and this potential major investment shows once again the strength of the Saltend offering.鈥
Saltend, once the centre of BP鈥檚 East Hull operations, is the venue for Equinor鈥檚 Hydrogen to Humber plans, with a significantly larger 600MW output proposed.
This would be of a similar scale to the first phase of Gigastack, a project progressing on the South Humber Bank, with a consortium including ITM Power, Phillips 66 and Orsted.
What PM Rishi Sunak said about Meld Energy's plans and his US visit
The Prime Minister took to Linked In has he prepared to land at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County, Maryland ahead of meeting President Joe Biden.
He said: "I鈥檝e had the privilege of living, studying and working in the US. The American way is optimistic, dynamic and forward-looking. It鈥檚 an outlook we in the 海角视频 share.
"So, as I touchdown in Washington DC, it鈥檚 great news that US firms have today committed more than 拢14 billion of new investment across the 海角视频 鈥 creating thousands of jobs and growing the economy.
"This includes World Fuel Services and Meld Energy鈥檚 green hydrogen facility in Hull, a new Mars facility in the London Gateway Freeport, BNY Mellon鈥檚 existing and Vanguard鈥檚 new Manchester offices, and a new HCA Healthcare facility in Birmingham.
"These investments are just a snapshot of the vast economic connections between the 海角视频 and the US. Because our economies are so interlinked, with nearly 1.5 million Brits working for American companies and more than 1.2 million Americans working for British companies, it鈥檚 paramount that we approach the changing face of global challenges in a unified and coordinated way that also protects our economies.
"So I will use my working visit to the US to drive this forward, because by combining our vast economic resources and expertise, we will grow our economies, create jobs and keep our people safe long into the future."
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