PLANNING chiefs are poised to approve construction of a  ground-breaking hydrogen facility in Cheshire.

An application by Essar Oil for a hydrogen production plant (HPP), storage and distribution facility is recommended for approval when it goes before Cheshire West and Chester’s planning committee next Tuesday.

The proposals also includes the demolition of existing structures on a 71 acre section of the Stanlow Refinery in Ellesmere Port.

The development forms a central part of the HyNet North West Project to provide infrastructure to produce, transport and store low carbon hydrogen across the North West and North Wales.

Once built, the plant would produce low carbon hydrogen fuel by the process of reforming natural gas, capturing approximately 97 per cent of produced CO2 to allow for its storage as part of a wider related nationally significant infrastructure project.

The application is ‘hybrid’ in that is seeks both full and outline planning permission for different components of the development.

The HPP project is proposed to be undertaken in two phases:

Phase one – the first hydrogen production process area (HPP1) and all the associated infrastructure to enable a hydrogen production capacity of up to 350MW.

Phase two – to commence towards the end of completion of the phase one work and includes an additional hydrogen process area (HPP2) and associated plant increasing the production capacity of the HPP three-fold, by a further 700MW.

Hydrogen produced in phase one is proposed to be utilised locally by the refinery as well as by nearby industries, but hydrogen produced in phase two would be for a wider exportation and storage via a future hydrogen distribution network in the North West of England.

The HPP development itself would consist of road and pipe infrastructure connecting a number of internal component areas including air separation units (ASUs), utilities area containing a waste water treatment plant, water demineralisation plant, various storage tanks and the emergency diesel generator and associated fuel tank. There would also be a natural gas letdown station, pipeline reception area and a 60m-high flare stack built to the north of the site.

Recommending approval, a report to the committee, said: “The hydrogen fuel production plant with integrated carbon capture would provide a ‘low carbon fuel’ source (as defined by the Government) to both local industry and, subject to approval of pipeline infrastructure, to the wider North West region, bringing substantial economic and environmental benefits.”