Powerhouse Energy Group PLC (AIM:PHE, ETR:BT81) said planning approval has been granted for a hydrogen facility in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland that will use Powerhouse’s technology to turn waste plastic into hydrogen.
Peel NRE, part of Peel L&P, has been granted planning approval for a £20mln, 13,500 tonne facility at Rothesay Dock on the north bank of the River Clyde. The hydrogen will be used as a clean fuel for vehicles, with plans for a linked hydrogen refuelling station on the site.
It is the second facility planned in the UK after Peel NRE’s Protos site in Cheshire was given planning approval. Peel intends to start construction there this year.
“The consent for a second site is another substantive step for Powerhouse, as we roll-out the process of commercialising our technology,” said chief executive Paul Drennan-Durose. “We value the opportunity of working alongside Peel NRE, and in supporting the Scottish and UK governments in their missions to decarbonise communities and the economy.”
Zero Waste Scotland estimates that around 500,000 tonnes of waste plastic are produced in Scotland every year.
“Whilst the focus must remain on removing plastic from society, there are still end of life plastics that need managing,” said Richard Barker, development director at Peel NRE. “The plant will play a pivotal role in making the best use of non-recyclable material, with the resulting hydrogen able to help cut carbon emissions from vehicles.”
The UK government is set to double its hydrogen production target by 2030 as part of the recently published Energy Security Strategy, so more clean and affordable energy can be produced domestically as energy prices continue to rise worldwide.
Peel NRE has signed a collaboration agreement with Powerhouse to develop 11 waste plastic to hydrogen facilities across the UK in the medium term, with the option of exclusive rights for a total of 70 facilities.