Peel progresses Protos plant
Working with energy provider Waste2Tricity, Peel Environmental has put forward a planning application for a plastics-to-hydrogen facility at the 133-acre site near Ellesmere Port.
The £7m facility is said to be the first of its type in the UK to use advanced thermal treatment technology developed by PowerHouse Energy Group, which is based at Cheshire’s Thornton Science Park.
The proposed plant will use up to 35 tonnes of unrecyclable plastics a day to create hydrogen, which can potentially be used to power road vehicles. Peel Environmental, part of Peel L&P, is behind the planning application, which has now been submitted to Cheshire West & Chester Council for consideration, following a public consultation earlier this year.
The facility could also generate electricity which could be provided to commercial users via a microgrid at Protos.
Myles Kitcher of Peel Environmental said: “This is a great step forward towards delivering the first of many waste plastic to hydrogen facilities across the UK. There is huge potential for hydrogen to replace fossil fuels in our transport system.
“We already have hydrogen buses in Liverpool and trains being converted to hydrogen in Widnes. Using waste plastic to generate a local source of hydrogen could not only help to reduce our reliance on landfill but improve local air quality with a clean and low-cost fuel for buses, HGVs and cars.”
John Hall from Waste2Tricity added: “We are excited to have submitted plans for this first plant – the first in a series of developments that have the capability to make the North West a leader in moving towards clean energy and to help in achieving the Government’s target of net zero emissions by 2050.
“With this plant we are recognising the importance of the low carbon distributed hydrogen economy and, importantly, embracing the circular economy.
“This closed loop solution tackles the country’s problem of how to dispose of unrecyclable plastic whilst producing a clean fuel for the future. Waste2Tricity are proud to be development partners in this global first and look forward to continuing to work with Peel Environmental.”
