UK-based clean energy investor Essar Energy Transition (EET) has launched EET Hydrogen Power, which they claim is Europe’s first hydrogen-ready combined heat and power plant (CHP).

The plant will be built at its Stanlow refinery, with the aim of completing construction in 2027.

EET Hydrogen Power will be developed over two phases to reach a capacity of 125MW of power with 6,000 tonnes per day of steam, with the hydrogen replacing hydrocarbons delivering a reduction of 740,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.

The new plant will replace Stanlow’s existing boiler units, which currently generate approximately 50MW of power for the refinery operations.

The plant is integral to the decarbonisation of operations at EET Fuels’ Stanlow refinery, which plans to cut total emissions by 95% by 2030.

Rob Wallace, CEO of EET Hydrogen Power, commented: “We have bold ambitions for Stanlow to become a low carbon transition hub at the centre of the HyNet Industrial Cluster. EET Hydrogen Power will be Europe’s first 100% hydrogen-ready gas-turbine plant which will be supplied with EET Hydrogen’s low carbon hydrogen. This project will create significant benefit by contributing to regional emissions’ reductions targets.”

The investment will support EET Fuels’ decarbonisation ambitions and will also provide low-carbon power to other industrial users in the HyNet industrial cluster, thereby supporting their decarbonisation targets.

The development is a key part of EET’s overall $3 billion of energy transition initiatives in the North West of England. The investment also delivers on EET’s contribution in supporting and growing high skilled employment in the region.

EET includes: EET Hydrogen Power; EET Fuels (which is the owner of the Stanlow Refinery); EET Hydrogen, (which is developing over 1.35GW of blue and green hydrogen capacity for the UK market, with follow-on capacity ambition of 4GW); and Stanlow Terminals Ltd, one of the UK’s largest independent bulk liquid storage terminal, which is developing enabling transport and storage infrastructure for biofuels and new energies.