Companies vie for funding to decarbonise UK port
Germany's Uniper and Siemens Energy, Japan's Toyoto Tsusho and Associated British Ports (ABP) have applied for state funding to decarbonise the port of Immingham on England's east coast using hydrogen, the companies announced on June 2.
The group has undertaken a study into how low-carbon fuels like green hydrogen can decarbonise difficult-to-abate sectors like maritime and cargo handling at ports. The ABP-owned Immingham port is the UK's largest by tonnage, handling 54mn metric tons/year of cargo, and is situated in the Humber industrial cluster, due to be decarbonised in the coming years under the Zero Carbon Humber initiative.
|
Advertisement: The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) NGC’s HSSE strategy is reflective and supportive of the organisational vision to become a leader in the global energy business. |
"The port is ideally placed to take advantage of the existing infrastructure in the region, combined with technical expertise brought by the four partners," Uniper said in a statement. "There is the potential for green hydrogen to be produced by electrolysis, using a renewable energy supply such as offshore wind. The hydrogen could then be used as a direct replacement to diesel and heavy fuel oil, or for the production of clean shipping fuels.
The partners are seeking funds from the government's Clean Maritime Fund to undertake a full feasibility study of the project's technical and economic aspects. If the bid is successful, the work could begin as early as this September, according to the companies. The project is expected to initially supply around 20 MW of hydrogen by 2025.
Uniper owns the nearby Killingholme power plant, which could serve as a location for a hydrogen-producing electrolyser if the project goes ahead, and the company is working on various hydrogen initiatives elsewhere. Siemens manufactures polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysers, and is seeking an inroad into the UK market, while Toyoto Tsusho's role will be assessing how port equipment can be converted, replaced or retrofitted to run on hydrogen, as well as looking at hydrogen refuelling infrastructure options.
"This first of its kind concept, has the potential to become a decarbonisation solution not just for the Port of Immingham, but for other ports, and the maritime sector as a whole," Uniper said.