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Scottish Power is exploring the opportunity to develop, build and operate a “multi-hundred megawatt” green hydrogen hub at the Port of Felixstowe in partnership with its owner Hutchison Ports.
As well as being used at the port in Suffolk, Scottish Power said the hydrogen produced at the facility could potentially help to decarbonise local industry and road and rail transport.
It could also provide a feedstock for the production of green ammonia or e-methanol that could, in turn, provide fuels for shipping and aviation or be exported internationally.
Scottish Power said it is aiming to align the development of the facility with the expected emergence of customer demand from 2025 onwards. It emphasised the benefits of green hydrogen for the UK’s energy security as a “homemade” fuel.
Barry Carruthers, hydrogen director at Scottish Power said: “This strategically important project could potentially create a clean fuels hub that could unlock nationally significant decarbonisation for the region, as well as playing a role in international markets.
“It’s perfectly located not far from our existing and future offshore windfarms in the East Anglia region, and demonstrates how renewable electricity and green hydrogen can now start to help to decarbonise road, rail, shipping and industry.”
Conservative MP for the Suffolk Coastal constituency Therese Coffey commented: “I warmly welcome Hutchison Ports’ and Scottish Power’s joint plans to explore opportunities for a large-scale hydrogen hub at the Port of Felixstowe, providing green fuel at the UK’s largest container port. It’s schemes like this – and investment from industry as well as government – which is crucial for us to reach net zero by 2050.”
Scottish Power already operates the 714MW East Anglia One offshore windfarm, which become fully operational in July 2020, and is developing or building three further offshore wind farms as part of its East Anglia Hub.
Construction work is underway for the 1.4MW East Anglia Three wind farm, whilst the East Anglia One North (800MW) and East Anglia Two (900MW) projects are awaiting planning consents after securing Contracts for Difference earlier this year.
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