Plans for major hydrogen fuel generation scheme submitted to council

Bruce Sinclair – local Democracy Reporter

A major hydrogen fuel generation scheme, which could make up to five tonnes of the gas a day at the former Puma Energy site in Milford Haven, has been submitted to county planners.

Viktor Carp of 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.

The 20MW hydrogen generation plant on the 1.7-hectare site would generate, on average, five tonnes of hydrogen a day, with a maximum of six stored on site at any one time; but the site has consent for up to 20 tonnes; the electricity coming from the substation on site, utilising green electricity from new and existing UK windfarms.

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.

Energy

H2 Energy Europe Ltd, was established in 2014 in Zurich as a joint venure 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.

Agent, Manchester-based Zerum, in a planning statement, said: “South Wales is an ideal location for a proposed hydrogen generation plant, to make use of the existing renewable energy assets and Pembrokeshire’s emerging status as a key location for clean energy investment.

“Milford Haven is home to the UK’s largest energy port and offers great opportunity for a transition to a low carbon economy, to meet Wales and the UK’s decarbonisation goals.

“The development would contribute to the Haven Waterway Future Energy Cluster’s aims (‘the Cluster’) to support at least 20 per cent of the UK’s hydrogen generation production target and 10 per cent of the Celtic Sea offshore wind target by 2030. Development in the area will also support the development of low carbon liquid fuels.”

It added: “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.”

The application says 14 full-time jobs will be created during its operation, with the hope of success of the phase of development may enable future developments to come forward on the Puma site, which could create up to 100 new high skilled permanent jobs from larger deployment.

A pre-application meeting was held with senior Officers from Pembrokeshire County Council in February 2023, to discuss the proposals and the content of the application submission package.

The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.