Uniper, Siemens Energy, Toyota Tsusho and Associated British Ports (ABP) have joined forces to submit a joint funding bid for decarbonising the Port of Immingham.
On 2 June, the group announced a bid had been submitted to the Clean Maritime Fund for matched funding, as they develop a vision for a low carbon hydrogen supply to the port. Should it prove successful, work on a full feasibility study for the project could commence as early as September. This would explore the technical and economic feasibility for reducing the port’s greenhouse gas emissions with hydrogen and develop a clear plan for future development.
With the Port of Immingham handling over 54Mt of cargo annually, the four companies believe it to be ideally placed to take advantage of existing infrastructure in the region, as well as capitalising on the respective expertise each of them offers. The project is targeting a scalable decarbonisation solution within the port that could be replicable to others, acting as a first step in the uptake of hydrogen as a fossil fuel alternative across the maritime sector.
The project could see an initial 20MW supply of green hydrogen to the Port of Immingham by 2025, with to produce it from electrolysis, using a renewable energy source such as offshore wind, with this then used as a direct replacement to diesel and heavy fuel oil, or for producing clean shipping fuels. Uniper’s nearby Killingholme power station has already been identified as a potential location for an electrolyser to produce this hydrogen for the port. Uniper would lead the feasibility study, with Toyota Tsusho carrying out an assessment of the conversion, replacement or retrofitting of port equipment, hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and achievable greenhouse gas reductions.
