A MAJOR hydrogen fuel generation scheme – the first of its type in south Wales – could be built at the former Puma Energy site in Milford Haven as early as 2025.
H2 Energy Ecosystem UK Limited is seeking permission for the erection of an electrolysis hydrogen generation facility, and associated storage facilities and works at the Amoco Road site.
The brownfield Puma Energy Ltd site, previously known as the Milford Haven Refinery, has been empty since refinery use ended in 2014 with its demolition.
Local engineering design company InSite Technical Services Ltd has been appointed to undertake the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study for the new facility.
The 20MW hydrogen generation plant on the 1.7-hectare site would generate, on average, five tonnes of hydrogen a day; the electricity coming from the substation on site, using green electricity from UK windfarms.
Following the recent submission of a planning application to Pembrokeshire County Council, senior members of the project, from Geneva and Milford Haven, outlined the scheme to the Local Democracy Reporting Service late last week.
The green hydrogen project has been shortlisted for funding under the UK government’s Hydrogen Business Model and Net Zero Hydrogen Fund: Electrolytic Allocation Round 2022 and selected to progress to the negotiation stage as part of the Net Zero Hydrogen fund.
The final projects selected by the UK government are expected to be announced in the last quarter of this year.
Subject to government support, H2 Energy’s 20 MW electrolytic hydrogen production facility is expected to be commissioned within two years, creating 17 permanent high-skilled jobs.
The technology uses the electrolysis of water to split into its constituent elements, hydrogen and oxygen; the end product is hydrogen gas, which can be used for fuel cells in cars, fuel for engines and turbines, or as liquid fuel for planes and lorries.
H2 Energy Europe Ltd, was established in 2014 in Zurich as a joint venture between Trafigura (landowner Puma Energy’s largest shareholder) and H2 Energy Holdings, with the goal to make hydrogen generated from renewable energy a mainstay of energy systems.
A planning statement said: “The hydrogen generated from the site will be used to supply industrial clusters in Milford Haven, Port Talbot and other sites in Wales, in addition to green transport such as trucks and tugboats. The end use of the hydrogen generated will be driven by market demand.”
Rolf Huber, founder and CEO of H2 Energy said: “South Wales is well positioned to benefit from renewable energy opportunities, particularly following the success of the Celtic Freeport bid.
“Our project is progressing well and if successful under the Hydrogen Business Model and Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, we will be given the opportunity to contribute to making the region a hub for the green transition within the UK.”
