New Delhi: Essar Energy Transition, the Essar Group entity driving the $3.6 billion worth of low carbon projects in the UK and India, on Friday said it will build Europe’s first 100 per cent hydrogen-fuelled power plant at its Stanlow refinery in the UK by 2027. Hydrogen fuelled power is an essential part of decarbonisation of industry and the power system in the UK is essential to reduce emissions, in line with government targets.

Without giving details about the investment involved in building the project, the firm in a statement said it is announcing “the launch of EET Hydrogen Power, Europe’s first hydrogen-ready combined heat and power plant (CHP) to be built at its Stanlow refinery, with the aim of completing construction in 2027”. The plant will be based at EET Fuels’ Stanlow refinery.

“The investment will support EET Fuels’ ambition to become the lowest carbon process refinery, globally and EET Hydrogen’s ambition to become the leading low carbon hydrogen producer in the UK. “It will also provide low carbon power to other industrial users in the region to support their decarbonisation targets.

EET Hydrogen Power will become an independent vertical under EET,” it said. EET Hydrogen Power will be developed over two phases to reach a capacity of 125 MW 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 generates about 50 MW of power for the refinery operations.