INEOS is planning Europe’s largest-ever investment in electrolysis projects, with the potential to transform zero carbon hydrogen production across the continent.
On 18 October, INEOS announced its plan to invest over €2bn in green hydrogen plants in Norway, Germany and Belgium, with further investment in the UK and France. The first unit – set for Norway – will be a 20MW electrolyser, driving a minimum reduction of around 22,000 tonnes of CO2 a year, reducing the carbon footprint of INEOS’ operations at Rafnes. It will serve as a hub to provide hydrogen to the Norwegian transport sector.
INEOS is also eyeing a 100MW electrolyser at its Koln site in Germany, with hydrogen from the unit to be used in the production of green ammonia. It will lead to a reduction in carbon emissions of over 12,000 tonnes per year, leading to opportunities to develop E-Fuels through Power-to-Methanol applications on an industrial scale.
In the UK, meanwhile, INOVYN – an INEOS subsidiary – is to upgrade its existing low carbon hydrogen production at its Runcorn site as part of this investment. This will deliver dedicated on-site facilities for the purification and compression of existing, low carbon, fuel cell quality hydrogen for the subsequent loading, and transportation and distribution to fuelling stations across the UK. Hydrogen production at the site has the potential to provide enough low carbon fuel to over 1,000 buses or 2,000 trucks where battery electricity systems are not appropriate.
