Vertex Hydrogen has signed agreements to supply over 1,000MW of low carbon hydrogen to leading industrial companies in the HyNet North West cluster region, reaching its expected production capacity.  Vertex Hydrogen is an Essar-led joint venture with Progressive Energy, in which the company will invest £1 billion over the next five years to drive down emissions.

The project will capture some 1.8 MtCO2/y and reduce more than 10% of the region’s industrial emissions. According to Vertex Hydrogen, this is the equivalent to taking 750,000 cars off the roads. It will see over £2bn of direct investments in the hydrogen plant and associated regional hydrogen transport and storage infrastructure.

Hydrogen demand comes from global businesses operating in the region, who are looking to become the first low carbon operations in a number of key sectors by switching their current high carbon fuels to low carbon hydrogen, which will be produced at the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex in Ellesmere Port, using Johnson Matthey’s LCHTM technology.

These consumers are substantial direct and indirect contributors to the 340,000 people employed in manufacturing in the North West. It also includes innovators in the sustainable aviation fuels, glass and cement industries.

Joe Seifert, CEO of Vertex Hydrogen, said: “We have always said that Vertex is demand-led from leading industrial companies and we have now signed agreements for over 1,000MW of hydrogen – our entire expected production capacity from the initial phases of our project. This milestone gives us huge confidence in the economics of the project and the long-term demand for low carbon hydrogen in the coming decades.”

As reported previously by IFRF, one proposed use of the hydrogen is In Essar’s own refinery in a new high efficiency furnace, slated to operate on hydrogen from 2026 when the fuel becomes available.