THE first facility to convert waste plastic into hydrogen - part of a £130m investment across the UK - will be based in Ellesmere Port.
Peel Environmental – part of Peel L&P – has signed a Collaboration Agreement with Waste2Tricity and PowerHouse Energy which would see 11 waste plastic to hydrogen facilities – representing an investment of £130 million – developed across the UK.
The first facility will be located at the company’s 54-acre Protos site near Ellesmere Port.
Using a ‘UK first’ advanced thermal treatment technology the network of facilities could transform the way waste plastics are dealt with nationally.
Waste plastic
The clean and low-cost hydrogen produced could be used to power buses HGVs, before being rolled out to hydrogen cars, helping to reduce air pollution and improve air quality on our roads.
The technology provides a solution to plastics that cannot be reused or recycled and that would otherwise end up in landfill. With almost 1.2 million tonnes of waste plastics going to landfill every year, local authorities across the country are looking for alternative treatment technologies.
Myles Kitcher, from Peel Environmental, said: “Hydrogen is increasingly being seen as a vital part of our journey to zero carbon. This deal could be transformational in delivering a UK first technology that can generate local sources of hydrogen but also provide a solution to plastic waste. As a business we’re looking at solutions for all plastics with a vision for these facilities to sit alongside recycling and recovery.
“We’re pioneering this solution in the North West but local authorities across the country could benefit from a more sustainable way to treat waste plastic, whilst also creating a local source of low carbon transport fuel which could help them meet their climate change targets.”
Peel Environmental will provide real estate and infrastructure support, Waste2Tricity is the developer and PowerHouse Energy is the technology and engineering services provider.
John Hall, from Waste2Tricity, said: “As pioneers of the low carbon distributed Hydrogen Economy, we are delighted to see this collaboration with Peel Environmental, who have recognised the importance of hydrogen as a fuel for the future. Along with contributing to a growing circular economy, this innovative technology will undoubtedly play an important role in helping the UK meet its net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, whilst tackling the country’s problem of how to dispose of unrecyclable plastic.
“This agreement is an important first in the industry and exemplifies the circular economy. We recognise the importance of moving away from a linear economy and adopting technologies that minimises waste. Given the value of this project, and the formal collaboration with Peel L&P, we expect increased investor interest in supporting this revolutionary technology across the UK.”
The partnership is due to submit a planning application for the facility at Peel Environmental’s Protos site near Ellesmere Port in the coming weeks.
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